Tonye Cole Brands Fubara’s Emergence “Stolen Mandate,” Says Rivers Crisis Will Persist

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State during the 2023 general elections, Tonye Cole, has alleged that the process that produced Governor Siminalayi Fubara was fundamentally flawed, describing it as a “stolen mandate.”

Cole made the assertion on Thursday while speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television, where he argued that the lingering political crisis in Rivers State is rooted in how the election was conducted.

According to him, the events that led to Fubara’s emergence were openly witnessed by the public. He said the process, which he noted was broadcast live, clearly showed irregularities that undermined the credibility of the outcome.

Cole, however, acknowledged that the courts had affirmed Fubara as the winner of the election, stressing that the judicial pronouncement makes him the legitimate governor of the state, irrespective of how he assumed office.

He maintained that the unresolved issues surrounding electoral manipulation remain the real trigger of the rift between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Cole argued that Wike played a decisive role in Fubara’s rise and that the fallout was inevitable once their political alignment collapsed.

The former candidate warned that similar conflicts would continue to surface across the country unless systemic problems in the electoral process are addressed. He said practices such as result manipulation, where candidates who won are declared losers and vice versa, must be confronted to restore public confidence in elections.

Cole concluded that the Rivers political tension will persist because the foundation on which the current administration was built has not been resolved.