Tonye Cole, Lulu-Briggs’ Disagreement
As the 2019 general election draws near, politicians are coming up with different antics and intrigues to outshine one another in the bid to realise their ambitions. With this, siblings are turning their back against one another, while friends are becoming foes overnight. Society Watch gathered that the contest for the number one job of Rivers State is beginning to tear Sahara Energy founder, Tonye Cole, and Dumo Lulu-Briggs apart.
As revealed, the two billionaires, apart from being from the same Abonema in Abonema in Akuku Toru Local Government of the State, are close friends and top players in the oil and gas industry.
Also, their fathers are heavyweights in the kingdom, who have worked together in the same party, PDP, in the past.
Surprisingly, the two kinsmen are becoming enemies of some sort overnight, since Cole was allegedly anointed by the Minister of Transportation and former Governor of the State, Rotimi Amaechi, as the All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate for Rivers State in 2019.
The oil baron, Lulu-Brigg, crossed to the APC three years ago in readiness for the top job and has been spending money to actualize his dream.
Lulu-Brigg, for instance, is said to have renovated the Rivers State APC secretariat and has been funding the party’s activities.
Those in the know disclosed that the minister, last year, promised him the APC ticket before changing his mind for Cole.
Consequently, it was gathered that Lulu-Brigg with a huge war chest is prepared to fight to the very end, while remaining a loyal party man.
Lulu Brigg, sources claimed, feels that this might be his last opportunity.
His followers, who are spread across the state, are also urging him not to back down.
It was initially rumoured in the oilrich state that Lulu-Briggs has jettisoned his dream when the story of Cole being anointed hit the town, but the deeppocket politician quickly refuted it.
Briggs, who holds a master’s degree from the University of London had reportedly spent several millions of naira for the same purpose in 2015. But he was disqualified by the working committee of the PDP, a development that burst his balloon of hope.