Rivers: Abe trumps Amaechi in APC parallel primaries

Tonye Cole and Senator Magnus Abe have emerged winners of governorship primaries two factions of the APC elected in their primaries in Rivers on the weekend.

The Rotimi Amaechi faction elected Cole who polled 3,329 votes in the indirect primary while his rival, Dr Dawari George, got 491 votes. Dumo Lulu-Briggs came third with 38 votes while Abe got one vote.

The Jafar Isah-led Governorship Primary Committee voided 18 votes.

The primary held by Magnus Abe faction adopted direct primary, and Abe emerged winner with 144, 929 votes from the three senatorial districts of Rivers State by the APC.
Dumo Lulu-Briggs got 3,344, Dawari George, 1,606 and Cole 882 votes.

The two parallel governorship primaries in different parts of the state created some tension in the capital city.

An explosion earlier went off some distance to the Igboukwu venue of the Amaechi-led primary election.