A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Kingsley Wenenda Wali has described the resignation former governor aspirant, Prince Tonye Princewill, former commissioner for transport, Hon. George Tolofari and three prominent members of the party, as a major blow to the party in the state ahead of the 2023 general election.
Princewill and Tolofari as well as former member of the House of Representatives, Dr Dawari George; chairman of APC in Khana local government area of the state, Celestine Akpobari and a party stalwart in Akuku-Toru local government area, Hon. Theodore Georgewill had resigned from the party in past one week.
Others who resigned their membership of the party within the period were former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chidi Wihioka; former leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Golden Chioma, former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Ibim Semenitari, amongst others.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wali stated that amongst those that resigned their membership of the APC, only five were genuine members of the party in the state.
He stated that others who resigned from the party had already pitched their tents somewhere and only wanted to formalize what they had always wanted to do.
The APC chieftain said, “If you look at it critically, just about four or five people who worked with Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, have resigned from the party. They are Hon. Dawari George, Hon. George Tolofari, Celestine Akpobari, Theodore Georgewill and Tonye Princewill.
“The rest of the resignations are people who have long abandoned ship and pitched their tent somewhere else. So, it was just a case of formalizing what they had always wanted to do; to vacate the party. So, it is no big deal.
“But, truly speaking, I am not one of those that will say the five gentlemen that left were good riddance to bad rubbish. No! My position is that we would have been better off with them around. Quiet frankly, as an individual I wish them well because these are gentlemen who I had relationship with and I know that they are men of integrity.”
