Tony Okocha, the caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has made serious allegations against Tonye Cole, the APC’s gubernatorial candidate in the last election. Okocha claims that Cole engaged in anti-party politics by allegedly supporting the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Okocha criticized Cole for not featuring Tinubu’s image on any of his campaign materials during the 2023 election. He argued that this omission was a deliberate attempt to distance Cole from the APC’s presidential candidate and show support for Abubakar instead.
Okocha further claimed that Cole, along with others like Rotimi Amaechi, covertly supported Abubakar, citing dissatisfaction with the treatment of Amaechi during the APC presidential primaries as a potential motive. He asserted that President Tinubu was aware of Cole’s alleged disloyalty, which reportedly led to Tinubu’s reluctance to engage with Cole even after his presidential victory.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within the APC and raises concerns about party unity and loyalty as the party navigates its internal divisions and external challenges.
