The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has strongly criticized the planned local government elections in the state scheduled for August 30, warning that the exercise could undermine democratic values.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Cole expressed concern that holding elections under a Sole Administrator while key democratic structures remain suspended projects the wrong image of governance.
“I personally feel that having that election in the time of a state of emergency, under a Sole Administrator, says everything wrong about democracy,” Cole stated. “If you have suspended democratic institutions, then let it be clear that they are suspended for a reason. You cannot be conducting elections under such conditions.”
He further alleged that the timing of the elections suggested a political attempt to capture local government structures, stressing that such actions could erode public trust in the democratic process.
“The idea appears to be about capturing the local government. All of this just sends the wrong signal,” Cole warned. “If we are committed to democracy, then we must practice it properly, not in ways that promote impunity.”
Cole concluded that Rivers State’s current approach risks setting a “very dangerous precedent” for democracy in Nigeria if allowed to stand.
