A group of Rivers State indigenes under the aegis of Rivers Diaspora Network (RDN) has endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Tonye Cole, for the March 11, 2023 Governorship Election in the State.
Membership of RDN which is made up of Rivers State professionals, social and ethnic groups across North America, Europe, Asia and South America, believe Cole is the right man to occupy the number one political office in Rivers State come May 29, 2023.
The decision to endorse Cole was reached after an enlarged stakeholders virtual meeting of the group held recently in Maryland, thevUnited States of America.
A 10-paragragh communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the United Kingdom coordinator of RDN, Sobere Opusunju and Chief Abani Iloni, who joined the meeting from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, noted that the group decided to throw their weight behind Pastor Cole because he has shown strong commitment to the development of Rivers State.
According to the group, the APC candidate has demonstrated zeal, passion, enthusiasm and the will to serve Rivers People, saying if given the opportunity to be Governor, he is going to entrench a new governance order that will positively transform the State for the benefit of the people.
“We have unanimously endorsed Pastor Tonye Cole as the next Governor of our dear State, Rivers. Tonye Cole is an illustrious son of Rivers with a resounding track record of excellence and distinction in both private and public practice. We have no doubt in our minds that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear in the politics and governance of the State if elected in the forthcoming governorship election. Tonye Cole is a fine gentleman, intelligent, hardworking, resourceful, young and energetic. He is the person Rivers State needs at this time to engineer the process of restoring the lost glory of the State. We urge all Rivers sons and daughters both home and abroad to look the way of Pastor Cole and give him the overwhelming support he deserves to win the election”, the group said.
RDN said its endorsement of Pastor Cole is without sentiment, noting that a State such as Rivers, that has been seriously polarised by the incumbent governor, needs a man like Cole to unite the people and lay a solid foundation for rapid development.
“Rivers State needs a leader whose personality inspires peace, away from the overweening and combative style of leadership we have witnessed in the last seven-and-the-half years. It is time to put one of our best forward”, the communique added.
The endorsement is coming barely a month after Cole’s engagement with members of Rivers Diaspora Network, RDN in Washington DC, during his recent visit to the United States of America where he was invited to attend the USA-Africa Leadership Summit hosted by President Joe Biden.
According to a statement released in Maryland, USA after the Summit by the TCCO diaspora group chairman, Tex Wariboko, Cole’s invitation and attendance of the Summit was a major boost and moment of pride for sons and daughters of Rivers State which is widely known to parade resourceful and innovative people with creative and entrepreneurial abilities.
“Tonye Cole is a very brilliant fellow who has made presentations at various intellectual fora across the globe. So, we were not surprised that he was invited to the United States to participate in USA/Africa leadership summit organised by President Joe Biden. A man with such intellectual depth and exposure fits the bill to become the next governor of Rivers State. He has both the international exposure and a strong grassroot connection. Imagine what Rivers State stands to benefit with this man in the saddle”, Tex Wariboko said.
