Rivers State 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole, has asserted that political parties in the state have effectively ceased to exist.
OsunDailyNG reports that Cole made this declaration during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
The politician remarked that an individual who is a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state could also be affiliated with the APC and vice versa.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the fundamental principles underpinning the political parties in the nation have been significantly undermined.
The APC chieftain said, “I wish Rivers State is being talked about regarding progressive development, inventions and innovations; things that are progressing Nigeria and putting it forward. We just seem to be talking all the time about the political crises that seem to be unending.
“There were a lot of anti-party activities going there. Everybody saw that. The sad news for me in this anti-party thing is that it has eroded the whole foundation of all political parties. Today what you see is that political parties don’t exist for who they are; anybody can be anywhere. You are in the PDP but running for the APC; you are in the APC but running for the PDP. That is totally wrong.
“I suspect that what Rivers is doing today is showing the entire nation that this kind of thing can’t continue. At some point, they have to stand for something.
“Truly, the way we look at political parties in Rivers State is that there is no political party anymore. Everybody is just pushing for a single political interest. And they can stand wherever that interest is going to pay them. You can truly be a card-carrying member of the PDP and you are moving in Rivers State with the APC, and it’s okay. Nobody will say anything.
“Nobody knows which party you are. A PDP member is an APC member, and an APC member is a PDP member. It does not make sense. It is too much of personal interest and it is eroding the political fabric of the nation.”
