The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr Dakuku Peterside at the weekend lost his bid to fly the flag of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 Governorship elections in Rivers State.
He has never hidden his ambition to give the Governorship ticket a push again, after losing to Mr Nyeson Wike in 2015.
But, surprisingly, the leadership of the party led by Minister of Transportation; Mr Rotimi Amaechi has adopted the Chief Executive of Sahara Energy; Tonye Dele Cole for the governorship ticket.
Cole, an architect is a son of Dr. Partick Dele Cole, a former managing director of Daily Times and a former ambassador of Nigeria to Brazil. He is from Abonnema-Kalabari, headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.
Many had expected the contest to be a straight fight between the Director-General of NIMASA; Dr.Dakuku Peterside and Senator Magnus Abe.
Other party leaders at the Lagos meeting included oil magnate, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, Dr. Dakuku Peterside; a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Sam Jaja and Senator Andrew Uchendu (Rivers East)among others.
Sources said that Amaechi wanted a ‘neutral’ candidate that would be largely acceptable to the mainstream APC in the state as well as the Abe faction of the party.
Sources said that the NIMASA boss immediately expressed support for Cole’s endorsement. Peterside, said: “Our leader, Rt. Hon. Amaechi,” whose leadership they all subscribed to, made a decision on who members of the party in Rivers State should back for the office of governor of Rivers State in 2019, with the lot falling on his friend and brother in Christ (Cole).
“I made a commitment to the group earlier to stand by whatever decision the leader makes in the overall interest of the party and Rivers State. I reiterated my position yesterday (on Thursday) in the leadership meeting. I thus stand by the decision on Tonye Cole”
“We have toiled from 2013 to date (a period of five years) and have made sacrifices and lost lives in the course of enthroning the kind of government we want in Rivers State; a government that will guarantee peace, unity and prosperity. In the course of the struggle, we bonded as one indivisible family under God.
Alluding that Tonye Cole’s choice may have divided the party, Dakuku said: “The decision by the leader has been met with mixed reactions, which is expected. My appeal is that we allow the greater interest of APC and Rivers State to prevail.
“To those who believe in the vision I shared in the past five years, the leadership I gave at various times and the path of loyalty to the cause I have chosen over time, I urge you all to stand by the Leader, the party and the ordinary people of Rivers State in support of Tonye Cole.
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