Tonye Cole

Timeline of activities

Tonye Cole, the Rivers State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election, has been on quite a political journey.

Let’s delve into some key moments:

6 October 2022

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyemson Wike (PDP), passed Executive Order 21, which requires the written permission of the state government and a 5 million fee to hold rallies in large public facilities. It seemed targeted at hampering the campaign of opposition parties.

Tony Cole’s campaign team and the APC held rallies in privately owned spaces and on the streets.

1 November 2022

Mr. Wike passed a second order, Executive Order 22, banning all political parties from opening and operating campaign offices in residential areas. The PDP had a prominent campaign office in GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt.

Tonye Cole’s Campaign Organisation had recently secured an office in GRA, Port Harcourt.

January 19 2023

Dynamite was thrown at the rally ground, followed by sporadic gunfire at Ojukwu Field, Port Harcourt, as Tonye Cole and his campaign team took their campaign to Port Harcourt Local Government Area (LGA). Three (3) supporters sustained injuries from the attack.

January 31, 2023

Tonye Cole and his supporters were ambushed and shot in Opobo Town to prevent them from holding a rally in Opobo/Nkoro LGA. The exchange of gunfire between the attackers and the security personnel accompanying the Campaign Team lasted for over an hour. The rally was called off to save lives.

February 15, 2023

Bola Tinubu arrived in Port Harcourt for the APC Presidential Rally hosted by Tonye Cole then paid a visit to Mr. Wike at the State House. A deal was seemingly struck with Mr Wike to support Tinubu’s presidential bid in exchange for Tinubu supporting Wike and the PDP governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara.

March 18, 2023

The Ahaoada West LGA DG of Tonye Cole’s Campaign Organisation , Chiosom Lennard, was killed along with 2 Polling Unit agents, Esor Godspower Ajahu and Okpara Chinyere, at Ward 10, Unit 01 in Ubeta Community, Ahoada West LGA.

April 7, 2023

Tonye Cole accused the PDP and its thugs, who were picketing the INEC office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt, of abducting his lawyer from the INEC premises and withholding the certified true copies (CTC) of documents used in the conduct of the March 18th governorship elections.

These documents were never recovered.

April 19, 2023

Due to the excessive violence surrounding access to INEC’s premises for the collection of the CTC of documents and inspection of other election-related materials, the Election Petition Tribunal was transferred to Abuja.

May 22, 2023

APC withdrew from the Election Petition Tribunal leaving Tonye Cole to continue prosecuting his case as the Sole Petitioner against INEC , Siminalayi Fubara, and the PDP.

Some believe this was part of the Tinubu-Wike deal.

July 4, 2023

Witnesses for Tonye Cole’s election petition began giving testimony supporting his petition.

July 27, 2023

Mr. Wike was nominated as a Minister in the Tinubu-led APC government.

August 1, 2023

Tonye Cole, the Petitioner called and tendered documents via 40 witnesses (PW1-PW40). The depositions and cross-examinations of the witnesses were concluded with Tonye Cole (PW40) taking the stand as the star witness. The Petitioner closed its case after that.

Mr Wike was in court.

August 7, 2023

The 2nd Respondent (Similayi Fubara ) opened its case and tendered documents and 24 witnesses (DW1-DW24).

August 14, 2023

The 2nd Respondent closed its case after presenting all 24 witnesses for cross-examination by the Petitioner’s counsel.

August 21, 2023

The 3rd Respondent (PDP) opened its case and tendered documents across the bar but did not present any witnesses for cross-examination and closed its case after that.

September 13, 2023

The Final Address by all parties was presented to the Tribunal and the trial period was concluded. The Election Petition Tribunal received the addresses and reserved judgment.

Mr Wike was in court.

September 30, 2023

The notice for the judgment to be delivered on October 1, 2023, was given to all parties.

October 1, 2023

Judgement was delivered by the Tribunal and Mr Cole’s petition was unanimously dismissed because his party , APC ( the 2nd petitioner and his sponsor ) had wiothdrawn from the case. Hence, he had no locus to continue the appeal without a c0-petitioner.
The Tribunal also ruled that the petitioner did not provide sufficient documentary evidence to prove electoral malpractice.
An appeal must be filed on or before October 22, 2023 (21 days from the date of judgment).

October 7, 2023

CTC of tribunal judgement was released to all parties (6 days after). It is usually expected within 48 hours of delivering judgment.

October 10, 2023

Appeal Tribunal heard the appeal of Cole vs Fubara.
The appeal was adopted and reserved for judgment.
Judgement must be given on or before December 2nd.