Princewill Rules Out Defection To PDP, APC

The governorship
candidate of the Labour Party in Rivers State, in the last elections in the state, Prince Tonye Princewill, says he would not defect to either the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or All Progressives Congress (APC) in the larger interest of Rivers State people.
Princewill in a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, said he preferred to continue searching for peace in the state rather than realigning with any political party for political gains.
According to him, “After careful consideration, I and my political associates have decided not to align with either of the other two political parties but to stand with Rivers people for the sake of peace and long term prosperity. We see the two of them as birds of the same feather, fruits of the same tree and two sides of the same coin. So rather than add fuel to their fire, we opt to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
“It is no longer in doubt that the election in Rivers State was neither free nor fair nor credible. Rather than the jubilation of a victory or the recriminations of a defeat, I and my team prefer to keep searching for peace. The bloodshed is simply too much and thirst for even more appears palpable. Who will be left for us to lead? How much more of this can we take?
Princewill noted that he was not ready to go down the road of a huge legal expense to pursue “justice’ in court since a repeat-election, if it were to come, may only reproduce an even bloodier outcome which will also be the subject of litigation.
He said, “in spite of flaws in the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission still went on to announce a winner. As law abiding citizens, we cannot stop him but we promise him, we will always be here to remind him, Rivers State must always come first.”
He denied that neither APC nor PDP were his enemies, adding that they were just his opponents in a game of politics.
He, however, pleaded for forgiveness from those he or his associates may have wronged during the electioneering, stating that it is time to put the past behind and put the state forward.
For those who have wronged against us, we forgive them too. It is time to put the past behind us. From today, I and my team pledge to do whatever is in the people’s interest to help Rivers State and Nigeria move forward. This is simply paramount. That is what is important. We came to contest elections, not to fight a war. We came to serve.
“Rivers people have been through hell, with no jobs. We all can do a lot better. But first, we must have peace. Let our internal division and party politics not deny our children our bright future we all need,” he said.
Princewill was suspended on Monday by the Labour Party over his refusal to challenge the victory of the PDP candidate, Chief Nyesome Wike, in the April 11 governorship election in the state.

Ike Wigodo & Mercy Gift