A prominent political figure and former governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Princewill, shared his insights on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State and the presidency’s interest in the state’s governance.
Princewill attributed the president’s interest in Rivers State to its significant economic contributions and strategic influence on national politics.
He expressed disappointment with the current administration’s handling of the economic crisis, citing the need for fundamental changes to drive positive change.
The political stalwart also addressed the controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket, stating that he left the party due to its decision to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In an interview, Princewill criticized the party’s handling of the crisis in Rivers State, saying that President Bola Tinubu’s intervention did not resolve the issue.
When asked about his assessment of the Tinubu administration, Princewill expressed skepticism about the government’s ability to address the economic crisis, citing Nigeria’s systemic problems, according to Vanguard.
He emphasized the need for people power to drive change, urging President Tinubu to engage with the people before confronting the system.
Princewill also dismissed the ethnicization of the crisis between Governor Sim Fubara and Nyesom Wike, attributing the issue to political ambition.
He called for more efforts from political leaders and elders to address the crisis and expressed his desire to be involved in 2027 politics, hoping to inspire positive change in Rivers State.
“No 1 factor that has plagued our state is Presidential ambition. All of our Rivers Governors want to be President, but none of them made it. They control too much money, are surrounded by too much sycophancy and consequently they perceive themselves as having too much influence.
” They can make or break a President. Ask Obasanjo, Goodluck, Buhari or Tinubu. No Fourth Republic President can write his story and leave out the role of the Rivers state Governor at the time he was President.
” We are big but all we are good for is use and dump but we will never learn. When Rivers state sneezes, the whole country catches a cold. So there is a lot of interest in who becomes Governor here. Not always for positive reasons.
“This Governor doesn’t look like he will be interested in being President. This might be the difference that will allow us to focus within,” he said.
