Former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is not legally a member of the party, warning that the governor is standing on “shaky legal ground.”

In a recent interview with Channels TV, Cole dismissed the notion that Fubara’s recent defection to the APC has made him the leader of the party in the state. He argued that the faction that received the governor, led by Tony Okocha, lacks legal recognition.

The former candidate noted that the governor would be the leader of the party if he joined through the appropriate faction in the state.

Cole maintained that he remains the legitimate leader of the APC in Rivers State, citing a court judgment that recognised the Emeka Beke-led executive committee—the same leadership structure that produced him as the party’s governorship candidate.

“The Tony Okocha-led faction of the APC is not a legally recognised faction, and that’s where the problem is,” Cole stated.

“Even though Fubara is recognised nationally as a member of the APC, the group that has welcomed him is not legally recognised.”

He explained that until the Supreme Court vacates the judgment recognising the Beke-led executive, any membership processing done outside that structure is invalid.

“Every other person who claims to be chairman or leader of APC, unless they come under that faction, they don’t exist as far as the law is concerned.”

Cole expressed deep concern that the APC in Rivers State is heading toward a repeat of the 2019 disaster, where the party was removed from the ballot due to internal legal tussles.

“I have been a victim of a case where we stood, we ran, we had primaries… and two weeks before going to the ballot, the Supreme Court ruled that the very foundation under which everything had been done was erased,” Cole recalled.

“I am deeply concerned that if the APC at the national level does not sit down to work with me… we would end up in a scenario where APC does not have a candidate on the ballot.”

While describing Fubara’s move to the APC as an “astute political move” that he supports in principle, Cole insisted that the proper process must be followed to protect the governor’s political future.

“He is not safe where he is,” Cole warned. “He should just come and say that we can register him… and acknowledge that legally, this is the right place to be. Truly, he is on very shaky legal ground.”

Cole called for an urgent conversation involving himself, the National Chairman, and President Bola Tinubu to resolve the crisis and “save APC in Rivers State.”

Tribune

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