Former All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has said Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s emergence was controversial from the outset.

Cole urged political actors to use the current situation to chart a new course for governance in the state.

He stated this on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

He commented on Fubara’s reconciliation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the political developments in Rivers State.

The APC chieftain said he believed Fubara must have consulted with his associates before deciding to reconcile with Wike in order to complete his tenure without further political distractions.

He stated, “My assumption is that the governor would have gone with his own close allies, discussed with them, and said that this is the best way, that he has to move forward for the next six months or thereabouts of his administration. I would assume that’s what he did.

“But I am not in his chamber, so I wouldn’t know. But that’s what I would assume he would do.”

Cole said that having chosen to remain in office after the political crisis, the governor now has a responsibility to focus on governance rather than prolonging the conflict.

“But the battle that was fought? Now, what do you do? Do you walk away? If he was going to walk away then, he should not have come back as governor.

“But having taken the responsibility to come and finish his term, then he has to finish it in the way that allows him to govern. He can’t go back into fighting.”

He argued that Fubara’s path to office had been disputed from the beginning, adding that the prolonged face-off between the governor and his predecessor had negatively affected the state.

He said, “First of all, the method with which he came into power in the first instance was contentious. Throughout the period when he was there, the contention between himself and his predecessor had a lot of problems for River State.

“So that could not have been the wishes of the people. People looked for something different; they didn’t get it.”

Cole, however, expressed hope that the current political climate presents an opportunity for Rivers State to embrace a new style of leadership and a more transparent electoral process.

“Now we have an opportunity, and I come back to this – we have an opportunity in Rivers State, and I’m praying this time around that it will work.

“We have an opportunity in Rivers State to set a different type of governance, a different type of process in electing those who represent us in power. My prayer is that we do it right,” he said.

Fubara and Wike have been locked in a prolonged political feud since shortly after the governor assumed office in May 2023.

The crisis split the Rivers State House of Assembly, disrupted governance and led to a series of legal and political battles over control of the state’s political structure.

In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy and members of the House of Assembly for six months, while appointing a sole administrator to oversee the state.

The emergency rule was lifted after the suspension elapsed, with Fubara returning to office following a reconciliation brokered by the President between him and Wike.

Since his return, the governor has resumed official duties and pledged to work with all stakeholders to restore stability and focus on governance, although political observers say tensions within the state’s political class remain.

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Candidates of the 14 political parties participating in the August 15 Osun governorship poll on Thursday signed a peace accord to indicate their commitment to a peaceful poll.

At the event, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, seeking reelection on the platform of the Accord, signed the document, while representatives of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Oyebamiji and Dr Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, signed on their behalf.

John Cardinal Onaiyekan, who delivered the welcome remarks on behalf of the Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), said the accord represented another important milestone in the committee’s longstanding efforts to promote dialogue, build trust and ensure that political competition does not become a trigger for violence.

Onaiyekan further said democracy flourishes when political competition is guided by peace, restraint and respect for the rule of law, urging political actors to conduct the remainder of their campaigns with civility and responsibility.

He said, “In the name of the National Peace Committee, I am making my special appeal to all the political party members here present to abide by the spirit and the letter of the accord that you will now sign. This signing of the accord is not just a formality or a ritual; It is supposed to mean something serious, that we take this matter seriously.

“We must also add that apart from the political parties who will be involved in the election, the peaceful outcome of the election process also depends a lot on two other groups of agents.

“First, the INEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, whose national chairman is here. And in the name of the Peace Committee, I greet you. I congratulate you.

“I assure you of our confidence in you that you will do a good job and actually make sure that the election process is done according to the rules and the electoral laws, faithfully, without partiality. And it is because of that that you will also be party to the signature.”

Addressing the gathering, the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, said by signing the Peace Accord, the candidates were not only affirming dedication to non-violence and mutual respect but “we are also sending a powerful, unambiguous message to our citizens: that democracy thrives when peace prevails.”

Amupitan called on all political parties, candidates, and supporters to strictly adhere to the letter and spirit of the agreement.

He warned that anyone attempting to disrupt the August 15 governorship election or engage in vote buying would face the full weight of the law.

He said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities on its election timetable, with only the end of campaigns on August 13 and election day remaining.

“We will not allow the democratic will of the people to be subverted by fear or force. Insecurity is a direct assault on the sanctity of the ballot,” he said.

The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission would deploy personnel across the state’s 30 local government areas and the Modakeke Area Office, covering 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units.

He said the certified register contained 2,339,233 eligible voters after the Automated Biometric Identification System exercise, adding that 322,822 Permanent Voter Cards, representing 62 per cent of newly registered voters, had been collected.

Amupitan noted that the collection of PVCs at all local government offices had been extended until Friday, July 31, to enable more voters to collect their cards.

Expressing concern over reports of violence and threats in parts of the state, the INEC chairman said the commission had shifted from reactive monitoring to proactive security measures through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.

According to him, intelligence-led security operations would be deployed to polling units and collation centres in collaboration with the police and the Armed Forces.

“Any attempt to disrupt the election will be met with the full weight of the law,” he warned.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone XI headquarters, Osogbo, Akinyele Fasuba, who represented the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, assured of security of lives and properties during and after the poll.

He said, “Police have adequate security on the ground to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent election in Osun State, during, before and after the election.

“The same template used in Ekiti in June 20 that Ekiti people applauded, the same thing will happen in Osun State.

“The IGP said people should not entertain any fear. Policemen have started arriving in Osun State from all over Nigeria.

“And being the leading organisation in internal security, police will be neutral. IGP said I should assure you that we will be neutral. No way that police will be accused of siding one party or the other,” Fasuba said.

Adeleke, speaking at the event, said members of his party were facing harassment from the police, and sought free and fair polls that would meet high standards of transparency.

“We call on the police authorities to emulate other security agencies which have been very professional.

“Police must be impartial like other security agencies. We seek free and fair polls where people’s will should be supreme. Our people will severely resist rigging in all forms.

“Our request is for impartial policing, a fair and just electoral commission and supremacy of voters’ will at the polls,” the governor told the stakeholders, which included politicians, civil society members and top security personnel,” he said.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, commended INEC’s independence and appealed to political actors to reject violence.

“Osun State is greater than the interests of any individual or political party,” the monarch said.

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Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu, urging him to abandon what he described as political grandstanding and focus instead on addressing Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges.

Reacting to Tinubu’s Tuesday declaration that he was prepared to “wrestle his opponents to the finish,” Atiku said the President’s remarks betrayed the desperation of a leader struggling under the weight of his administration’s failures.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President described Tinubu as “a drowning man” attempting to distract Nigerians from what he called an abysmal record in office.

“Mr President, you are a drowning man. Wrestle with your failures, not your opponents,” Atiku declared.

He expressed concern that the President made the comment while responding to a call by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria for credible, transparent and peaceful elections, arguing that the occasion required reassurance and statesmanship rather than combative rhetoric.

According to Atiku, Tinubu’s response reflected the aloofness that has come to define his administration and demonstrated a lack of humility expected of a president addressing one of the country’s most respected religious institutions.

Rather than threatening political opponents, Atiku said the President should channel his energy towards tackling inflation, food insecurity, unemployment, insecurity and the country’s economic decline.

“The President should wrestle with the millions of Nigerians who now skip meals because food has become a luxury.

“He should wrestle with the insecurity that has turned farming communities into graveyards and highways into hunting grounds for criminals.

“He should wrestle with the unemployment that has robbed an entire generation of hope. He should wrestle with an economy suffocating under policy inconsistency, reckless borrowing and dwindling investor confidence,” he said.

The former Vice President argued that governments with poor records often resorted to political theatrics in an attempt to divert attention from public dissatisfaction.

“These are the words of a drowning man. A government that has little to celebrate inevitably seeks refuge in chest-thumping.

“But Nigerians are no longer interested in political performances. They are interested in performance in government.

“Empty slogans cannot fill empty stomachs. Boastful declarations cannot lower food prices. Threats against political opponents cannot restore the value of the naira,” Atiku stated.

He further contended that the President’s biggest political challenge was not the opposition but the performance of his own administration.

“His greatest opponent is his own record. Every unpaid worker, every struggling business, every unemployed graduate, every victim of insecurity and every hungry family is a living testimony to the consequences of his administration’s choices. That is the contest he has consistently failed to win,” he added.

He also reminded the President that democratic elections are decided by voters, not political bravado.

“Democracy is a marketplace of ideas and accountability. Governments earn another term through competence, compassion and measurable results, not through combative rhetoric.

“In 2027, Nigerians will not be stepping into a wrestling arena. They will be stepping into polling units to deliver a constitutional verdict,” he said.

He urged Tinubu to spend the remainder of his tenure confronting the country’s pressing challenges rather than engaging in what he described as unnecessary political battles.

“The Nigerian people are not looking for a wrestler. They are looking for a leader. History will not remember who shouted the loudest. It will remember who governed the best,” Atiku added.

The exchange follows Tinubu’s remarks during an audience with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria in Abuja, where he reportedly declared that he would “wrestle” his political opponents “to the finishing point” in the 2027 general election.

The statement came as the bishops urged political leaders and institutions to guarantee credible, transparent and peaceful elections.

Also on Wednesday, Atiku accused Tinubu’s administration of losing control of Nigeria’s public finances following a report by The PUNCH that the Federal Government borrowed far above the limit approved by the National Assembly in the 2024 fiscal year.

Atiku said the latest figures, which showed that the Federal Government exceeded its approved borrowing ceiling by N4.79tn, pushing total fresh borrowing to N12.62tn, underscored what he described as a pattern of fiscal recklessness, opacity and waste under the current administration.

In a statement issued by Shaibu, Atiku said Nigerians were assured that the removal of fuel subsidy, increased taxation and other economic reforms would reduce borrowing and stabilise the country’s finances, but argued that the opposite had occurred.

According to him, the latest borrowing figures demonstrated that the government’s economic policies had failed to achieve their stated objectives.

“Nigerians were promised that the painful removal of fuel subsidy, repeated tax hikes and other harsh economic measures would reduce borrowing and restore fiscal stability.

“Instead, the country is witnessing the exact opposite: endless borrowing, ballooning debt and unprecedented waste,” the statement read.

Citing figures from the Budget Office, Atiku noted that the Federal Government borrowed 61.2 per cent above the amount authorised by the National Assembly.

He also questioned the source of an additional N3.19tn reportedly obtained as “budget support,” despite there being no provision for such borrowing in the approved appropriation.

He described the development as part of a broader pattern of financial mismanagement.

“This is not an isolated incident. It fits into a disturbing pattern that has become the defining signature of the Tinubu administration: duplication, opacity and reckless fiscal management,” he stated.

The ADC chieftain further accused the administration of operating duplicated budgets, concealing huge expenditures under the Service Wide Vote, creating what he described as “fake agencies,” and approving extravagant spending on luxury vehicles while critical sectors remained underfunded.

Questioning the impact of the borrowings, Atiku argued that there was little evidence that the funds had translated into improvements in education, healthcare, security or infrastructure.

“The tragedy is that Nigerians are being forced to service debts whose benefits they cannot see,” he said.

He also pointed to reports that higher international crude oil prices had generated an estimated N7.98tn oil revenue windfall for the Federal Government, arguing that increased earnings should ordinarily have reduced the country’s dependence on borrowing.

“A government earning windfalls while borrowing recklessly is not suffering from lack of revenue; it is suffering from lack of discipline,” Atiku declared.

The former Vice President also expressed concern over the country’s rising debt servicing obligations, noting that the Budget Office report showed debt servicing reached N12.36tn, exceeding budgetary projections by more than 52 per cent.

He warned that Nigeria was approaching a dangerous fiscal position where government borrowing would primarily be used to repay existing debts.

“This is not economic reform. It is fiscal vandalism,” he added.

Atiku said an ADC-led government would prioritise blocking financial leakages, eliminating waste and directing public funds toward productive investments capable of stimulating economic growth and improving citizens’ welfare.

“The Nigerian people cannot continue paying today’s taxes to service yesterday’s loans while tomorrow’s generations inherit only debt,” the statement added.

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