Rivers State No Longer Has Functional Political Parties – Tonye Cole

• Tonye Cole declared that political parties in Rivers State no longer operate effectively, with members frequently switching allegiances for personal interests
• He criticized the erosion of party loyalty, stating that anti-party activity undermines the core principles of political parties in Rivers

Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has declared that political parties no longer operate effectively in the state. He made this assertion during an interview on Politics Today on Channels TV.

Cole explained that the lines between political parties in Rivers State have blurred, with individuals frequently switching allegiances for personal interests.

He remarked that it is now common for a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to align with the APC and vice versa, eroding the foundation of party loyalty.

“There’s a lot of anti-party activity in Rivers State,” Cole stated. “The sad reality is that it has undermined the core principles of political parties.

Today, political parties don’t stand for their ideologies anymore. You see PDP members campaigning for APC and APC members supporting PDP. This is entirely wrong.”

Cole lamented that instead of focusing on innovation and development, the state remains embroiled in political crises.

He expressed concern that this trend sets a negative example for the nation.

“What Rivers State is showing the country is that this kind of political behavior cannot continue. At some point, there must be a stand for something meaningful,” he emphasized.

He further criticized the dominance of personal interest over party principles, stating that the political landscape in Rivers State now revolves around individual gains.

“In Rivers today, it doesn’t matter which party you belong to. A PDP member can openly work with the APC, and no one questions it. The party system is no longer functional,” he added.

Cole concluded by warning that the erosion of party ideologies in Rivers State reflects a broader issue affecting Nigeria’s political fabric, calling for urgent reforms to restore credibility to the system.