Tonye Dele Cole

Son of former presidential aspirant, Patrick Dele Cole and CEO of Sahara Energy, Tonye is being touted as the ace card of transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

Sources close to the minister reveal that though he insists on a riverine candidate he would rather skip the duo of Dakuku Peterside and Magnus Abe.

Peterside, who flew the party’s flag in the 2015 guber polls, is the director general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) while Abe represents Rivers South East in the Senate.

An astute businessman, technocrat and oil magnate, Cole has been a long time friend of Amaechi fueling rumours that he is the anointed candidate to replace the incumbent governor, Nyesom Wike in the Brick House, Port Harcourt.

Magnus Ngei Abe

Since activating the “Ogoni Governor” agenda prior to the 2015 general elections, Senator Magnus Abe has not let up in his quest to be governor of the oil rich Rivers State.

Abe served as minority leader in the state House of Assembly and was later appointed by the then governor, Peter Odili as commissioner for Information. He later served as secretary to the state government during Amaechi’s first tenure as governor and later elected senator representing Rivers South East.

He has recently been enmeshed in a running battle with Amaechi over who flies the party’s flag come 2019. Sources close to him say he does not want a repeat of the 2015 debacle when Amaechi allegedly handpicked Peterside to contest as governor.

Though his followers and supporters were effectively edged out of the recent congresses that saw the emergence of Ojukaye Flag Amachree as state party chairman, he has continued his subtle campaign across the state, meeting with different stakeholders ahead of the party’s gubernatorial primary.

The likelihood of him clinching the party’s ticket would depend on a number of factors including Amaechi’s disposition to the conduct of the primary, the fate of his touted mentor and Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the position of stakeholders of the party on the upland/riverine dichotomy.

Dakuku Peterside

Erudite scholar, development expert and former student unionist, Dakuku Peterside, who hails from Opobo local government area, has been in the news since 2015 when he contested against Wike and lost.

Though he contested the outcome of the polls, which was heavily marred by malpractices, irregularities and widespread violence, the Supreme Court affirmed WIke’s victory by overruling the verdicts of both the election tribunal and Appeal Court which had earlier annulled the polls.

He was later appointed DG of NIMASA and has since been working in the background to rebuild his political structure which he expects to leverage to his advantage during the run-up to the 2019 guber election.

Speculations are rife that characteristic of Amaechi, he may still be fielded against Wike in 2019 as candidate of the APC.

Dumo Lulu Briggs

Son of Rivers State oil magnate, OB Lulu Briggs, Dumo has severally contested the governorship seat of the state with no success but his recent move to the APC has generated speculations that he might clinch the party guber ticket and ultimately win the election against Wike.

Those thinking in this direction hold that among all the aspirants, he alone has the financial muscle to bankroll his ambition without recourse to public funds. Also, he is seen as a bride to the mass via his massive philanthropy and intervention programmes.

George Tolofari

Given the riverine bent of Amaechi with regards to the Rivers State governorship tussle feelers are emerging that George Tolofari may be the surprise alternative should the pressure to choose between Abe and Peterside fail to abate.

Tolofari, a close friend and longtime ally of Amaechi, hails from Bonny LGA, which he represented during Amaechi’s time as speaker of the state House of Assembly. He later served as commissioner for transport under the latter’s stint as governor.

Though an easygoing and quiet achiever, he is said to enjoy wide acceptance across the Ikwerre ethnic group where he is an in-law and other communities across the state.