I am glad to confirm to you that after months of consultations and deliberations; The Princewill’s Exploratory Committee has finally submitted its final report. This report is well detailed and has been presented to The Prince. The period, spanning exactly four months, saw the committee carry out the following tasks;
. Consult with the Grassroot in Rivers State (Men, Women, Youth, etc), on the viability of Prince Tonye Princewill’s candidacy.
. Consult with the political elite on the viability of Prince Tonye Princewill’s candidacy.
. Analyze the political atmosphere and advice on issues relating to Political Parties and Primaries.
. If necessary suggest modalities and strategies to follow through to the upcoming elections.
According to the report, which is expected to be made public, various strategies were adopted in the creation of this report. From opinion polls to actual consultative visits, the committee was able to organize their findings into a comprehensive report.
In the report’s conclusion, a total of seventeen recommendations were made, but the following are the highlights:
1. He has been advised to contest for the Governorship seat in Rivers State come 2015.
2. He was advised to contest for the governorship seat under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
3. He was encouraged to continue and sustain his support for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
4. He was advised to use his popularity among the youths, the non political class and the elders to encourage participatory crowd funding as opposed to pure money politics of the past (If anybody could do this they concluded, it was him).
The Prince, who is currently at his father’s bedside; where The King just underwent surgery, is currently digesting the report and would publicly address his supporters and the State on his return.
It is worth reminding us all that the team consisting of persons of impeccable character including a onetime Governor of Rivers state, a prominent traditional ruler, former student leaders and the owner of one of the largest media organizations in Nigeria, operated under the radar to produce a 520 page document which the Prince himself has described as the “political equivalent of a bible”.
Speculations have arisen from Prince Tonye’s delayed declaration, but his response to this and other issues are as follows :-
“It is not how you start that matters, but how you finish, I’ve been with the grassroots years ago, even when it was not about politics, let others play catch up and tell the public where they were and what they were doing for them even without a political appointment. If I am where I am today in the minds of the public without a single campaign attempt since 2007, then I give God the glory. I am glad the committee findings confirmed this.”
“Also I have contested for Governor before unlike others and on the day of my election in 2007, a sitting government could not defeat me in my local government, talk less of my ward. The records are there. I am glad this report has come out. Once I have attended to my father, I can get to work, digest it and talk to my people. This is door to door teamwork and I will play my politics well. But first things first! Now my priority is the King. Remember the elders because you too will grow old.”