Rivers 2023: Mikko denounces consensus, declares for governorship

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Honourable Bernard Mikko has dismissed the emergence of Tonye Cole as the governorship candidate of the ruling party for the South-South state.

Mikko who represented Khana and Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between1999-2003 on the platform of the erstwhile ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja shortly after picking his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.

Tribune Online checks revealed that certain chieftains of the APC at the weekend in Port Harcourt led by Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi announced Tonye Cole as the party consensus candidate.

But speaking with journalists, Honourable Mikko said the endorsement of Cole was not binding on other aspirants in the race.

He said:” You know that in politics, before you become an aspirant, you must obtain your nomination forms and the law of building a consensus is clear the parties that are subject to that consensus. Up till this afternoon (now) you know the process, go and check at the party’s Secretariat for those who have paid and those who haven’t paid. I think that will give you a clear indication as to a group of friends, well wishers that sat together and said that they have endorsed someone. No endorsement. “They can endorse people but no consensus has been reached. Go and find out from the party’s headquarters. It is synonymous with the fact that some friends of a presidential aspirant who calls himself leader. Of course you know that the party hierarchy have said that it is only governors that are leaders of the party in the states. ”

The aspirant who admitted that the APC in Rivers State is polarized into Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abd factions said he was determined to play a mediatory role towards ensuring victory for the APC in Rivers State.

“This politics and I am core politician from Rivers state. I am from Ogoni and if you follow the politics of Rivers state you will know what I am talking about. The people will decide on who is going to govern them. We all have track record. So many things led to where things are today and is not going to remain the same.

“It is only small parties that don’t have divisions. The major opposition party in the country, you can see the divisions.
My own as a unifier is to bring all the parties together so that we can win this election. APC in Rivers state has been in the limbo for almost eight years now. No House of Representatives, no Senator, nothing not even a local councilor. And you can see the problem between some of these parties that has led to this. Why I am coming into the race is to unify all the factions in the state and make things work for our APC to win election.”