Prominent businessman turned politician in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, has revealed his running mate in the Rivers State governorship election on February 28, 2015.
Princewill is the gubernatorial candidate for the Labour Party in the February poll.
In a statement issued by the Princewill Campaign Organization, it was disclosed that “after months of rigorous consultations”, Barrister Ken Nwinekina Saronwiyo was chosen to be Princewill’s running mate.
Saronwiyo is a respected Ogoni son and was recommended by a cross section of stakeholders in the region, which include traditional rulers, men, women and youth leaders.
The choice of an Ogoni man as his running mate was because Princewill believed the region had been neglected in the past in the state.
Saronwiyo is a certified United Nations Ambassador of Peace, who was a member of the Youth wing of NPN in 1982. He was Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Khana/Oyigbo in 1991. He was also a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party in 1998 and is known as a strong grassroots mobilizer.
Born on January 25, 1950, to Late Madam Korne Akposi Saronwiyo and late Rt Hon. F.M.A. Saronwiyo, who was the 1st Ogoni elected representative, and also one time Parliamentary Secretary to late Chief Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; Barrister Ken attended the Khana County Council School and got his first school leaving certificate in 1963.
He went on to attend the Birabi Memorial Grammar School and got his WASC/GCE in 1971. To further his education, young Ken Saronwiyo left the shores of Nigeria and got an A’ Level in Constitutional Law from the prestigious Grange Park School, Watford. He also went through the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, London between 1972 and 1975.
Because of his love and quest for sound knowledge, Ken also attended the London College of Printing in 1971, attended the University of Science and Technology and got his LLB in 1998, got his BL from the Nigerian Law School (Abuja), has a General Technical Knowledge Certificate in Printing Technology (B.F.M.P), is a member of the Institute of Management Specialists – London (M.I.M.S), and also a member of the Institute of Journalists – London (M.I.O.J).
Barrister Ken has served in various ways. He was a Secondary School Teacher in the Bodo City, Ascension High School, Eleme from 1971 to 1972, where he taught lots of prominent Rivers State Sons and Daughters. He was the Administrative/ Sales Manager of Khana Sons Ltd from 1976 to 1977; and also became the Head of Commercial Sales Department of the Rivers State Newspaper Cooperation in 1977.
Barrister Saronwiyo, furthered his legal profession by becoming the Chairman (Judge) of the Customary Court, Babbe, Rivers State where he served from 2009 to 2012. Ken is currently the Leader of the Ogoni Stakeholders Forum.
