As the race for the Rivers Government House gets closer, a frontline politician and one time governorship candidate for the defunct Action Congress, AC, Prince Tonye Princewill said he is confident to take the Peoples Democratic Party governorship ticket if he wants it.
Prince Princewill dropped the hint during a world press conference over the weekend in Port Harcourt. He stated that he will not impose himself on the people hence, he had set up a committee comprising a former governor and others to look out for the viability of his candidature, promising that he would abide by the decision of the said committee.
Princewill who spoke on plethora of issues stated that he will not accept position other than the governor of Rivers State. He maintained that in the past he had been offered many political appointments which he turned down including minister, commissioner and NDDC appointment.
The Kalabari born Prince said many politicians are cowards because they are not prepare to die, but he is ready to die if that will change the system. He stated that for him to be a governor will be a miracle and Rivers State needs a miracle this time around.
The governorship hopeful maintained that he is interested in the race for the Brick House because of Peace, saying, you can not create jobs without security, that he will create the enabling environment for business to drive in the state.
He expressed optimism that he is the best man for the job when the committee will submit it mid term report because he understands the language of the militants, the graduates, the youths, the women, the rich and the down-trodden in the society.
The soft spoken business mogul stated that although he has been in politics for the past years, hence peace is the greatest priority for the growth of the state.
He disclosed that most of the Rivers State policies and programmes under Governor Amaechi is taking from Lagos State, because as former Action Congress Candidate, he introduced Governor Amaechi to Tinubu and later to the Lagos State governor.
He told the media that he disagrees with Amaechi on some key issues like calling the militants criminals and buying a new plane and refusal to take his advice on the rift between him (Amaechi) and the President.
On the relationship between the state and the federal government, he said the collaboration between the two has broken down and “there is a consequences when you decide to fight the federal government and that is the Nigerian politics”.
Ask if the President will ask him to step down his governorship ambition for any person, he answered the president will not ask me to step down.
Prince Princewill said while some people want president out in 2015, he wants him to continue because of his credible performance like the transformation at the airport roads, railway amongst others.
He noted that the Chibok girls are those who are painting his government as incompetent which is wrong, but stated that the federal government would have acted fast. The Peoples Democratic Party stalwart said the real enemies are those behind the Boko Haram because they want to separate the country.
On why there is no Federal Government presence in the state, he pinpointed that the people of the state are suffering because of the fight between the FG and the state, but if he were the governor the problem would not arise because the crisis is personal, pride and ego, that was why when the governor asked people to join APC, I rejected, all knowing that deep down in Amaechi’s mind I know he knew that APC is a wrong choice”
On the issues of fund to finance his campaign since APC is in control in the state, he said in 2011, he raised the money for Amaechi’s election, “So I can do it again”.
Speaking on zoning, the Princewill advised people not to be sympathetic to ethnic agenda but should think of the person that would liberate the state from the clutches of poverty and marginalization. ###
Pius Dukor
