The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Campaign Council in Rivers State, has described the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Tonye Cole, as enemy of the people of the state.
Director of Information and Communications of Rivers State PDP Campaign Council, Emma Okah, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, berated Mr. Cole for reportedly ‘de-marketing’ the state to advance his political interest when he said during a radio programme, View Point, that the state was unsafe.
The APC candidate, in the radio broadcast which aired on Saturday, also painted a gloomy picture of the security situation in Rivers State and saw nothing good in the combined efforts of the state government and security agencies despite the huge reduction in criminality in the state.
But the ruling party in the state said Cole’s comment was mischievous, dishonest and spiteful
It said Cole’s comments were unfortunate and unbecoming of a pastor who should see truth as sacred.
The statement reads: “If the state were unsafe, why is he moving to and from different parts of the state, holding rallies, attending church programmes and pushing his hollow campaigns without molestation?”
Describing Cole as a joker, the PDP said there was no known record of Cole’s contributions in any way towards the security of his local government area, Abonnema, or even the state.
“While the state government battled the Federal Government since 2015 to accord Rivers State similar cooperation extended to other states in terms of crime fighting, Cole saw nothing wrong in what the centre was doing to his state,” the party said.
The statement pointed out that the state government had shown leadership by tackling security challenges in the state and that was why Cole and his party can campaign freely today.
On the alleged job losses in the state, PDP said Cole should hold the Federal Government and his APC responsible as Nigeria has lost 23.9 million jobs since 2015 as a result of the ineptitude of centre.
It said: “Nigerians have never had it this bad since 1960 but we are proud that Governor Nyesom Wike has shown huge strength in leadership, development and infrastructure since 2015, making the Vice President to call him Mr Project.”
The PDP said Cole, who is a pastor, embarrassed himself when he said he has not seen anything positive that Governor Wike has done in Rivers State since 2015.
“If all the Jetties, sports facilities, health centres, zonal general and specialized hospitals reconstructed and newly constructed educational institutions, feeder and ring roads, land reclamations, housing projects, infrastructure, enhanced security surveillance facilities etc that traverse Abonnema, Degema, Abua-Odual, ONELGA, Ahoada and all the LGAs mean nothing to Cole, then Rivers people must shine their eyes well,” the party said.
