Edo defeat: APC total lost of all South-South states self inflicted ― Tonye Princewill

Forum 3 years ago

Edo defeat: APC total lost of all South-South states self inflicted ― Tonye Princewill

RIVERS State-born investor and politician, Prince Tonye Princewill says it is not accidental, but absolutely self-inflicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) now has no Governor in all of the South-South.

Princewill, an APC chieftain, on his appraisal of the recent Edo state governorship election which he described as “Obaseki Tsunami”, highlighted impunity among South-South APC leaders as the bane of the party in that zone of the country.

He weighed that, “So, APC has no Governor in all of South-South. This is not a coincidence. It is 100 per cent self-inflicted. A lack of clear zonal leadership in the South-South, a deliberate effort to keep the zone weak, refusal to mend fences and too much wealth.

“People with a lot of money, find it harder to listen to each other. I have found out that nobody is more attentive than a poor man looking for prosperity.”

On lessons learned from the Edo situation, Princewill said, “It sends a very clear message to Nigerians as a whole, but a direct message to APC and a quiet message to the PDP in particular

He said: “To APC, you have a chance to right your wrongs. Disqualifying Obaseki was a disgraceful act, reminiscent of years gone by and not what APC is expected to defend. You should have held a transparent primary if he was not popular.

“This means your best option is to field popular candidates who have interests of the people and not of Godfathers at heart. If you do not, a Buhari will not save you. Again you will fail elections and again he will congratulate the winner.

“Recent removal of Adams Oshiomole was an opportunity to place that chapter behind us. Ondo will be our first true post Oshio test. People are watching.

“To the PDP, congratulations. You did what was not common to you. You took in a non-PDP individual and gave him full access and proper authority to execute a campaign.

“You mixed a good candidate with a transparent process and took advantage of a neutral President, to make change possible. In other words, you gave power to the people.

“I am sure you are not under the illusion that this was a victory for just the PDP. It was not. This win took a heterogeneous effort, that made practical, the key theory that together Nigerians can overcome.”