APC Chieftain Celebrates Prince Princewill At 53

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has described Prince Tonye Princewill as an expectional Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, on his 53rd birthday.

In a statement sent to The Legend, Eze said Prince Tonye Princewill is a special breed and rare gift to humanity, whose sense of selfless service has unarguably transformed the lives of countless people within and outside of Rivers State.

Born on January 4, 1969, Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill, popularly known as the ‘Prince of Niger Delta Politics’ is one of the great politicians who have distinguished himself in the politics of Rivers State and the country at large.

A Nigerian investor, film producer and philanthropist, Princewill was the 2015 Labour Party and 2007 Action Congress nominee for the Governorship of Rivers State and currently a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is a known ally of former Rivers Governor and Nigeria’s Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.

Princewill also has strong links with former Vice-President of Nigeria, Alh. Atiku Abubakar and the former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

For decades, Tonye Princewill has remained an inspiration to the younger generation especially those aspiring for greatness and yearning for a better and more prosperous and united Nigeria.

In 2007 Princewill, seen in Rivers State circles as a grass-roots politician, made history when he joined forces with Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to form a remarkably successful unity Government in the State.

Further describing the success of that alliance, Eze explained that, ‘the Peoples Prince’ said, “We took the decision at the time that the enemy of your enemy is your friend,” indicating therefore that his opponents then were Celestine Omehia and his ‘godfather’, Dr. Peter Odili, the former Governor of the State.

Princewill later led members of the opposition parties in Rivers State under the banner of the Forum of Organized Opposition Political Parties to form a unity government with the Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.

The party chieftain said notwithstanding the tone of opposing voices, Tonye Princewill “stands undisputed as a decimal in the politics of Rivers State and the Niger Delta region in general.”

Princewill was later appointed the Director of Strategic Communication for APC’s Tonye Cole, to execute his 2019 Gubernatorial campaign in Rivers state, a strategic move which nearly succeeded in installing an APC administration in Rivers State, if not for unforeseen sabotage, according to Eze.

The APC stalwart emphasized that at 53, Prince Tonye Princewill has achieved great feats and attained very enviable heights which many dread to even attempt.

“From successfully running his dredging company-Riverdrill, his oil and gas conglomerate and other business interests with hundreds of Nigerians meaningfully engaged, to being the youngest gubernatorial candidate in Rivers state electionnof 2007, where he was candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Princewill was also Labour Party’s Governorship candidate in 2015.

Prince Tonye Princewill, the son and scion to the famous King (Prof) Theophilus Jacob Tom Princewill (CFR), Amachree XI, the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, coincidentally shares same birthday with his father who just turns 91.

He began his formal education in Nigeria at the famous Hillcrest School, Jos  from 1976 to 1980. His post primary education saw the young prince at the prestigious Federal Government College, Port Harcourt (1980-1985) where he won many laurels including award as the best English student in the school.

With an outstanding performance at the West African School Certificate Examination and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board exams, the young Tonye enrolled at the University of Port Harcourt the same year he left secondary school, to study and bag a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering (1985-1990).

By 1991, after his youth service, he had left the shores of Nigeria in search of greater achievements, eventually obtaining an M.SC in Mineral Resources Engineering and a Diploma, all at the Imperial College of London. .

Princewill is a certified PRINCE II practitioner with a sound working knowledge of both ITIL and Change Management and has until quite recently, been a regular presenter on project management issues.

His interests are people, film, football, swimming, basketball and traveling.