My Pre Election Discussions With Tinubu Against Wike’s Deal—Tonye Cole

<h4>My Pre Election Discussions With Tinubu Against Wike&&num;8217&semi;s Deal<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that the Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress&comma; APC in the March 18 election&comma; Tonye Patrick Cole&comma; has disclosed that he met Bola Ahmed Tinubu&comma; President-Elect&comma; to disuade him from forging alliance with governor Nyesom Wike during the February 25 presidential poll&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Cole&comma; 56&comma; and co founder&comma; Sahara Energy group&comma; made this disclosure at Thursday early morning interactive session on Arise TV &period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Speaking against the background of alleged betrayal by the federal APC&comma; which has not demonstrated sufficient support to his court move to reclaim his mandate&comma; Cole maintained that he was aware of Wike&&num;8217&semi;s deal with Tinubu before the election&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He noted that he met Tinubu in person to disuade him from the PDP and APC alliance in Rivers State&comma; saying APC has the wining prospects without Wike&&num;8217&semi;s input&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;I met Tinubu&period; He is a man I have known for a long time&period; He is of my father&&num;8217&semi;s age&period; He has been close to my family&comma;&&num;8221&semi; he said&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Cole explained further that despite his convincing arguments to support APC&&num;8217&semi;s victory prospects in Rivers State without Wike&&num;8217&semi;s input&comma; Tinubu stood his ground that he was going ahead with Wike&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Tinubu is well experienced in politics and he stated that he knew what he was doing to win&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Cole said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Cole&comma; who complained of his inability to access relevant documents with INEC to file a case against PDPs victory in court&comma; said he would fight to the last&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;It would be recalled that on March 21&comma; the Independent National Electoral Commission &lpar;INEC&rpar; declared Siminialayi Fubara&comma; candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party &lpar;PDP&rpar;&comma; as the winner of the March 18 governorship election&period; Fubara polled 302&comma;614 votes to defeat Cole who scored 95&comma;274 votes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;