Text of A Press Conference of the "Rivers Young Entrepreneurs Forum

Text of A Press Conference of the "Rivers Young Entrepreneurs Forum (Ryef)

By Amb. Rex David

Gentlemen of the Press,

We members of Rivers Young Entrepreneurs Forum (RYEF), as patriotic citizens have decided to participate fully in the politics of today. We have consulted widely and decided to endorse President Jonathan for a second term as president in 2015. We have also taken keen interest in Rivers State due to the dynamic nature of politics in the state, vis-a-vis the quest to avoid youth restiveness, which might build up if the wrong candidate is projected to run. We have however decided to endorse Prince Tonye Princewill as Governor of Rivers State in 2015. We also want to suggest the nomination of Prof. Don Baridam, who is one of the most resourceful Ogoni sons, as Running Mate to Prince Tonye Princewill.

We feel bold to state that the exercise leading to this findings and conclusion is born out of extensive consultations and tireless hard work by members of our team. We hereby present to you the

PDP WINNING TEAM

Prince Tonye Princewill: PDP Governorship Candidate

Prof. Don Baridam: Running Mate; PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate
Barr. Nyesom Wike: PDP Party Leader

This group which comprises of young entrepreneurs, cutting across all LGA’s in Rivers State, Non-Indigenes residing in Rivers state and candidates vying for various political positions in the state; acknowledges the gains of the transformation agenda of the Jonathan’s administration. These achievements have been felt in critical sectors of the economy such as power, aviation, oil and gas, education, agriculture, trade and investment, youth empowerment, health and tourism. We urge all the good people of Rivers state to join Nigerians all over the country to vote President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term, come 2015.

However considering the importance of Rivers State to the economy and political stability of Nigeria, We have decided to further assist our great party the PDP to produce the team that will bring a landslide victory in the forth coming general election.

Princewill Tonye Princewill: The background, political history and life style of the Prince, makes him stand out as the best candidate to fly the flag of PDP in Rivers State. The son of the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, HRM King (Prof) T.J.T. Princewill has over the years proved himself worth and his depth of experience in politics and political engineering is unparalleled and unassailable.

1. Princewill has over time endeared himself to many people in the State. He has continued to support Mr. President publicly and has always put his ambition secondary to Mr. Presidents 2^nd term re-election bid.
2. He is a former governorship candidate and the only candidate in the PDP that has contested a gubernatorial election. He defeated Sgt. Awuse to become the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress; AC in 2007 and later went ahead to slug it out with Omehia as the main opposition force in the state. This means he has the experience no other aspirant has.
3. His political group, Princewill Political Associates (PPA), has followers across every ward in the state. Not followers for money, but passionate followers that believe in his ideas.
4. We also believe his emergence as the candidate of PDP will cause a divide in APC, as many of the APC members from the defunct ACN are still loyalist and sympathizers of the Prince. It may interest you to know that the APC State chairman was the chairman of PPA; his SA on media was Tonye Princewill media director and so many more. This tells you, his emergence will cause massive defection of APC members to the PDP. 
5. Prince Tonye Princewill is from the Riverine area of the state, a region that has not produced a civilian governor and so his candidature is generally acceptable by Rivers People across the state for equity and justice. We hereby, want to urge you the journalists to do your findings for the interest of the state, as we are very sure you will come to the same conclusion we did.

Inclusion, Prince Tonye Princewill is a candidate with experience, a candidate with unmatched leadership quality, a candidate without any political office scandal to his name, a candidate more popular than people that have held and still holding political offices without any credibility to their name, a candidate that will defeat all arguments of zoning, a candidate that is the biggest threat to the Ameachi led APC in Rivers State. And above all a candidate that puts President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition far and above his own.

Prof. Don Baridam: The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt is a respected administrator in Rivers State. He can be remembered for his days as VC and effort in putting the university on the right track. His choice as the running mate to Tonye Princewill and Deputy Governorship candidate of the PDP is the right step in the right direction. Don Baridam is a gentle man than has the goodwill and support of many of his people. The calculation of the politics of the state favors the Riverine area but the clamor for an Ogoni governor is one that must be considered. This is why the choice of an Ogoni man to fill in the number two seat of the party is necessary. Don Baridam unlike other aspirants from his area is calm, respected and accepted by the ordinary Ogoni man. Unlike his counterpart contesting from the APC, Don Baridam has more friends than enemies in Ogoni and he is seen as a more trust worthy person that will protect and project the Ogoni agenda better. And his candidature will produce a total commitment and support of the Riverian people for the Ogoni project in the next election after Prince Tonye Princewill has completed his tenure as Governor.    

Barr. Nyesom Wike: The Former Minister of State for Education is widely acknowledged by majority of members of the PDP as the leader of the party in Rivers State. This is because of his role in ensuring that the PDP had a soft landing after Governor Ameachi tried to destroy the party. Even though it is rumored that he acted the script of the elders and leaders of the party at the national level for which much of the credit must go to the unforeseen powers behind him, we can’t take away the fact that he played his own part well. The rumor of his Guber aspiration has brought many issues that largely do not favor him and the party. It is uncontrovertibly known fact that the average market woman, teacher and settlers in the many rural areas would not even try to conceive the idea of another Ikwerre Governor to succeed Governor Ameachi, talk more of casting their vote for him. So it is only when the PDP has decided that it is no longer interested in taking back the state that it would make such a costly mistake. Such a blunder, God forbid, will amount to the PDP and presidency playing into the hands of Governor Ameachi and giving APC an easy victory in the state. And we know Mr. President and our National party leadership are too smart to make such a monumental political blunder.

However Barr. Wike is the best man to lead the campaign team of the PDP. His charisma and ability to mobilize people makes him the best man for the job. A combination of Wike’s GDI and Tonye’s PPA will be the master stroke of the party. A formular that will produce only one solution; VICTORY.

Considering Gov. Ameachi’s large popularity amongst the Ikwerre people, Wike can split the votes from the Ikwerre axis owing to his popularity especially in Port Harcourt. And lastly, Wike was Ameachi’s Campaign DG in 2011, so he has the requisite experience to lead the party’s campaign team to victory.

So, we call on our dear President, The National Leadership of the party, Elders and stakeholders of the party in Rivers State to consider our position and apply the almighty formula to produce the Winning Team.

Finally we the members of Rivers Young Entrepreneurs Forum and other affiliate groups of the PDP hereby pledge our total support and loyalty to the PDP and urge the good people of Rivers State to support President Goodluck Jonathan and Prince Tonye Princewill as President and Governor come 2015.

Thank you and God bless you.

Sign: Amb. Rex David
President; Rivers Young Entrepreneur Forum (RYEF)

Sign: Hon. Nana T. Barilee
Secretary; Rivers Young Entrepreneur Forum (RYEF)