Tonye Patrick Cole Biography
Tonye Patrick Cole Basic Information
| Stage Name: | Tonye Cole |
| Real Name: | Tonye Cole |
| Occupation: | Co-founder, Sahara Group, Politician, Author |
| Date Of Birth/Age: | January 11, 1967 (57 Years Old |
| Place of Birth: | Abonnema, Eastern Region, Nigeria (Now called Rivers State) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Nationality: | Nigeria |
| Marital Status: | Sylvia Cole |
| Education: | Havard Business School University of BrasiliaUniversity of Lagos Kings Ely Kings College, Lagos Corona School, Lagos, Nigeria. |
| Height: | 6 ft. 2 |
| Net Worth: | $1.4 bn (As of 2017) |
Tonye Patrick Cole Biography
Tonye Patrick Cole is a Nigerian businessman. Tonye is the co-founder and former Executive Director of Sahara Group, an energy conglomerate with operations spanning the entire energy chain in his country, Nigeria, and neighboring West African countries, East Africa, and beyond. Sahara Group boasts over 4000 employees, an annual turnover of $11 billion, and operates in 38 countries. Cole is credited directed for building the Group’s global expansion. He also upheld the group’s corporate governance principles and maintained its status with international institutions like the World Economic Forum [where he was a key member of Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI)] , The United Nations (where he was a pioneer member of the advisory board of the Private Sector Advisory Group for the UNDP Sustainable Development Group Fund (SDG-F)], The African Philanthropy Forum, etc.
Wife
Tonye Patrick Cole is happily married to his beautiful wife, Sylvia Cole, with whom he has three kids.
Children
Tonye Patrick and Sylvia Cole are blessed with three beautiful children. They are named Vanessa Cole, TJ Cole, and Serena Cole.
Citizenship
Tonye Patrick Cole is a dual citizenship holder. He was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and holds British citizenship. In December 2022, a federal High Court disqualified the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Tonye Cole, over his dual citizenship and “non-compliance with the Electoral Act by his party.” The suit was filed by the rival party People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP alleged in the suit that the APC delegates who gave Tonye Cole the party ticket did not follow due process.
Life Style
Tonye Patrick Cole loves the good life, and you can tell when you see him. He is not just a man who believes in acquiring knowledge; he has also gained praise for his work over the year. Tonye is also well-traveled. He has visited many cities of the world and met some of the world’s most prominent personalities. Tonye has also shared photos of his travels and the people he has met. He is also a devout christian who does not relent from sharing his views with the people.
–Net Worth
As of 2018, Wealth X reported that Tonye Patrick Cole’s net worth was estimated at $1.4 billion. It is unknown how much the famous politician is worth as of 2022.
–House
Tonye Cole is very wealthy. He owns houses in Nigeria and abroad. He once opened his new home in Abonnema, Rivers State, and invited the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God to dedicate it.
–Cars
Tonye Patrick Cole owns many expensive cars. He once bought a Mercedes Benz SUV worth twenty million Naira at the time as a gift for his wife, Sylvia Cole. She shared a photo of herself standing next to the car.
Education
Tonye Cole attended Corona School, Victoria Island. He later enrolled at King’s College, Lagos, before proceeding to King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Tonye is an alumnus of the University of Lagos, where he bagged a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Engineering. He also earned a Portuguese Certificate from Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil. Tonye is equally a graduate of Harvard Business School‘s Advanced Management Program (2014).
Tribe
Tonye Patrick Cole hails from Abonnema, Eastern Region in Rivers State. Abonnema was originally known as Nyemoni (“covet your own” in the Kalabari dialect of the Ijaw Language). It is a large town in the Kalabari region that was founded in 1882. Today, Abonnema has grown to become a flourishing major Nigerian seaport during the colonial era. It was host to many European companies, including the Royal Niger Company, which later metamorphosed into U.A.C. The town is the headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.
Politics
After deciding, Tonye Patrick Cole announced his switch to a political career in September 2018. Cole formally resigned from all board and executive roles he had held in the Sahara Group, as well as all his board positions in other companies. This enabled him to contest for the gubernatorial seat in his home state of Rivers. This is an elective political position in Nigeria. Cole won the primaries under the national ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and was declared the party’s flag bearer. However, due to a protracted inter-party legal tussle, they were removed from the ballot and legally prevented from contesting in the elections. As of 2022, Cole is gearing up to run again for the governorship in Rivers State. His party, APC, was sued by the rival party, PDP, alleging that due protocols were not observed when he was given a ticket to contest. In December 2022, a federal High Court judge disqualified him over his dual citizenship and “non-compliance with the Electoral Act by his party.” He contested the ruling and has seen some success in it.
