Former Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole, has distanced himself from speculations that he may be joining former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying he remains fully committed to the APC.
Cole made this known on Tuesday during an interview on Prime Time, a political programme aired on Arise Television, where he also confirmed that he would contest for the governorship of Rivers State again in 2027.
This would be Cole’s third attempt at the governorship seat, after unsuccessful bids in 2019 and 2023. The APC chieftain said he remains optimistic that he will eventually succeed in leading the state, framing his upcoming campaign as a “third time lucky” effort.
“I still have the ambition to be governor of Rivers State,” Cole declared. “That ambition has not changed, and I am working towards that goal.”
Amid growing reports of political realignments in Rivers and the possibility of Amaechi defecting to the ADC, Cole said he has no intention of following his former political mentor to the new party.
“I will not be joining Amaechi in ADC,” he said clearly during the interview. “I remain in the APC.”
While acknowledging that Amaechi played a major role in his entry into politics, Cole emphasised that they both now have different political paths and ambitions.
“Nobody can take away the fact that he brought me into politics,” Cole said. “I have always had a lot of respect for individuals like Rotimi Amaechi and others. But I have my own ambition and goals, and so does he.”
Cole’s remarks come at a time of deepening political divisions within the Rivers APC, following a series of internal wranglings that affected the party’s performance in past elections. Amaechi, a two-term governor of the state and a former presidential aspirant, is widely believed to be reconsidering his political future after losing grip of the Rivers APC structure.
In the 2023 general elections, the APC in Rivers failed to win the governorship seat, which was clinched by Siminalayi Fubara of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The election was marked by internal party disputes and low morale among APC supporters, largely blamed on unresolved leadership tussles.
Despite the setbacks, Cole appears undeterred and is already setting his sights on the next election cycle. He hinted at ongoing efforts to rebuild the APC in the state and present a united front ahead of 2027.
“My focus is on Rivers State. I believe that we need strong leadership and unity to move the state forward,” he said.
As the political atmosphere in Rivers continues to heat up, Tonye Cole’s latest declaration is seen as a significant development in the race toward 2027. It also sends a message that he is preparing to stand on his own, separate from the influence of his former political godfather.
