Tonye Cole, former APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, said the ongoing political feud has pushed the state about two decades behind in development.
He noted that the prolonged dispute has deepened divisions and urged a broad‑based effort to rebuild Rivers beyond party lines.
Cole said he has begun reaching out to political actors and stakeholders from all camps to address grievances and foster unity.
“I am one of those that have reached out across the board to different people, calling them and saying to them that, look, we have fought a fight that has left Rivers State further back 20 years than we have ever been in our entire history as a state. And this is one of the times when we now must all come together to build a new Rivers State.”
He stressed that rebuilding must involve competent individuals from all parties, not be dominated by a single group, and that the state’s interests should outweigh political differences.
“We have to do that across party lines. We don’t care whether you are PDP, whether you are APC, whether you are ADC, whether you are NDC. What we care about now is that Rivers State has to seek the best from everywhere, bring them together, and let us forge a master plan that allows us to move forward.”
Cole argued that political division and confrontation have failed to yield meaningful development in the state.
“Because we have tried the division, we have tried the fighting, and that has failed. So, how do we move the state forward? And that’s where we are,” he added.
He said efforts are underway to bring aggrieved parties together and secure a shared commitment to the state’s progress.
“So we are reaching out to all aggrieved parties, and we are bringing everybody together to say, you know what? Can we agree that we now need to move Rivers State forward?”
Cole warned that failure to reconcile the different political camps could plunge Rivers into another damaging round of conflict.
“The only way to do that is to bring the best from all the camps and let us put ourselves together so that we can deliver a new Rivers State. That is how we build this new state. If not, we’re going into another very bitter division, which will not progress us.”
