Rivers State Crisis: Tonye Cole submits names to Tinubu

As political tensions rise in Rivers State following the contentious local government elections, former APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole has proposed a bold solution: a high-stakes meeting between four of the state’s most influential political figures.

According to Cole, peace will remain elusive in the oil-rich state unless ex-Governor Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike, and current Governor Siminalayi Fubara sit down together and prioritize the state’s future over personal agendas.

In a bold statement during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Cole emphasized that peace will remain a distant dream unless four of the state’s most influential political heavyweights—ex-Governor Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike, and current Governor Siminalayi Fubara—come together to resolve their differences and prioritize the state’s future over personal ambitions.

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According to Cole, these four leaders, each holding significant sway over Rivers State’s political landscape, must set aside their individual agendas and sit down at the negotiating table.

He highlighted the crucial role of former Governor Peter Odili, often regarded as the patriarch of the state’s political dynamics, alongside his successors, Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike, whose long-standing rivalry has deepened the political divisions in the state.

The current governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who was a protégé of Wike, is now seen as a pivotal figure in shaping the future of Rivers.

“The state is larger than any single person or personal interest,” Cole remarked, adding, “Until these key actors sit down together and make the decision that Rivers State is more important than their individual interests, we will continue to see chaos.”

Cole warned that without intervention, political tensions would explode as Fubara’s tenure draws to a close, with an “all-out war” likely to erupt during the next election cycle.

But Cole didn’t stop there—he made it clear that only one person could effectively mediate such a delicate and potentially explosive meeting: President Bola Tinubu. As the leader of the country and someone with a vested interest in maintaining peace and stability across Nigeria, Cole urged President Tinubu to superintend this critical dialogue.

He stressed that if Tinubu is serious about achieving peace in the oil-rich state, he must bring these powerful figures together, using his influence to broker a deal that would put the state’s development first.

“The President can superintend this if he really wants peace in Rivers State. and a decision must be made that this is how we are going to move forward.”

The political crisis in Rivers State has only deepened since the conclusion of last Saturday’s local government elections, which were marred by accusations of rigging, violence, and power struggles among political elites.

With the state being one of Nigeria’s most strategic regions due to its oil wealth, the ongoing instability threatens not only local governance but also the country’s economic interests.

Cole’s call for unity among Rivers State’s political “big four” has sparked a wave of reactions across political circles, with many questioning whether such a high-level meeting can truly be achieved given the deep-seated rivalries between Amaechi, Wike, and Fubara.

Odili, though regarded as a father figure, has been relatively silent in recent political matters, raising doubts about his willingness to engage in such a process.

However, with President Tinubu’s track record of political maneuvering and peace-brokering in the past, there is cautious optimism that he could be the one to bring these divided leaders together. But whether Tinubu will take up Cole’s challenge remains to be seen.