Wike denies bribing AAC deputy governorship candidate with N200m to get him to defect to PDP

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has denied bribing the African Action Congress (AAC) deputy governorship candidate with N200m ($555,000) to get him to abandon his ambition and join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In Rivers State, the governorship elections remain unresolved after the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) suspended the collation of results there. More than any other state in Nigeria, Rivers witnessed extreme violence during the presidential and governorship elections with ballot box snatching, intimidation of voters, the firing of gunshots and clashes between the military and local communities.

With several issues still pending, Inec is yet to decide on how to proceed in what is a tense situation. Following an earlier court ruling, the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not have a gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State, so its supporters are backing the ACC aspirant Biopkomabo Awara in the hope that he can unseat Governor Wike.

Mr Awara's running mate Akpo Bomba Yeeh, however, threw a spanner in the works yesterday when he announced that he was quitting the AAC and joining the PDP. In a letter addressed to Mr Awara, Mr Yeah said his resignation from the party was informed by hijacking of the party’s structure by the APC in the state.

Posing for pictures with Governor Wike and the PDP chairman Prince Uche Secondus, Mr Yeeh said he is no longer interested in running for deputy governor. Immediately the new broke, it was reported that Governor Wike had enticed Mr Yeeh with a large sum of money to get him to break ranks.

However, speaking through Emma Okah, the Rivers State information commissioner, Governor Wike denied giving Mr Yeeh N200m. He added:  “The allegation that Governor Wike gave AAC’s deputy governorship candidate Yeeh N200m is not correct, it is untrue and it is absolute nonsense.

“Chief Yeeh is a respected elder from Ogoni Kingdom and his action by removing himself from being used to destabilise Rivers State and cause pain to the people is commendable. Everything is not about money as there are lots of good people around.

"We should commend him for taking the bold and historic step, instead of calling him names. Future generations of our people will remember the moral lesson of his present actions.”