Rivers State's APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole survives what is considered assassination attempt

RIVERS State's All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate Tonye Cole has narrowly escaped assassination at Bakana-Kalabari while he and his campaign team were on a ward visit after a team of gunmen opened fire on them.

Mr Cole, the business mogul and co-founder of Sahara Group, has declared, however, that despite the attack, he remains undeterred in his determination to ensure good governance in Rivers State. Dr. Chidi Lloyd, the director-general of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation,

Speaking through the Director-General of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, stated that his principal would pull the state out of backwardness, poverty and the abyss of bad governance.

Dr Lloyd said: “A bloodbath was averted at Old Bakana, as gunmen alleged to be sponsored by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) serving commissioner in Nyesom Wike’s government from the area, opened heavy gunfire on Pastor Cole and his team, as they were carrying out ward-to-ward consultation in the community. On arrival in the community and as is usual with the team, Pastor Cole and other leaders of the APC delegation had gone to pay a courtesy visit on the traditional head of the community, prior to commencement of the exercise, when heavy gunfire erupted from all directions.

“Cole immediately showed courage and leadership by ordering his team members to remain calm indoors, while the security detachment attached to the team was allowed to repel the advancing armed attackers. The Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation and APC vehemently condemn the dastardly act, reminiscent of what was carried out in 2015 against the APC and its governorship candidate Dr Dakuku Peterside in Okrika and other similar incidents carried out by PDP and their gunmen across Rivers State.”

Furthermore, he stressed that last Thursday, instead of the PDP members to tackle its internal crisis that had snowballed into open confrontation between them in Ikwerre Local Government Area, they found it convenient to blame APC members for the violence and killing of two persons at Ipo. According to Dr Lloyd, Pastor Cole, a clergyman of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, would continue to campaign on the issues despite the intimidation.

He added: “Rivers APC leaders also alerted the world that the PDP leaders were merely pointing at the APC to cover up their internal turmoil. It is a ploy to prepare the grounds for them to commence another round of bloody attacks on APC members in the state, declaring that in just about 24 hours, their fears had manifested.

“The governorship candidate of our party, Pastor Cole, is a God-fearing gentleman, whose only driving force to lead Rivers State is hinged on his conviction that every aspect of Rivers society is broken and needs urgent mending. He believes that if our youths are given jobs, they will not make themselves available for criminal enterprise.”