AAC Rivers State gubernatorial candidate says Governor Wike offered him N3bn to quit

AFRICAN Action Congress (AAC) Rivers State gubernatorial candidate Biokpomabo Awara has revealed that Governor Nyesom Wike offered him N3bn ($8.3m) to abandon his governorship ambition and support 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.

Earlier this week, the AAC deputy governorship candidate Akpo Bomba Yeeh, resigned from the party and declared for the PDP. It has been alleged by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Governor Wike offered Mr Yeeh N200m ($555,000) to give up his ambition defect to the PDP.

Over the last two days, the matter has been a subject of heated debate with the PDP and APC involved in throwing accusations and counter-accusations at each other. Mr Yeeh even pointed out that former governor and current transport minister Rotimi Amaechi forced him and Mr Awara to sign post dated resignation letters.

In response to this claim, Mr Awara said Mr Amaechi and the APC offered him and his party unconditional support because of their shared ideology and love for the people of Rivers State. He added that Mr Yeeh decamped to PDP because he was under tremendous financial pressure.

Mr Awara said: “When the story of his resignation first came out as a rumour that the Rivers State governor offered him N200m to abandon me, I had no reason to believe it because Elder Yeeh was aware that I had earlier turned down an offer of N3bn from Governor Wike that he offered to me some days ago through his associates. I discussed this with my running mate and outlined why we must not succumb to the lure from the governor or any interest group.

"I was convinced that we were in agreement because he neither expressed nor alluded to a difference in opinion on the matter. When the rumour became rife by Sunday, I made several attempts to reach my deputy without success and then I started developing some strange feelings pointing to a possible sell-out by him.

“I am aware that a key component of their plot is to attempt to smear the towering image and figure of the honourable minister of transportation Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. I want to state categorically that all the accusations made by my running mate against the minister are blatant lies poorly crafted by his paymaster, Governor Wike and associates and you could see how tough it was for him to read the script handed to him.

“Let me be clear, I was never asked to and did not sign any letter of resignation and I am aware that my deputy also was not asked to or signed any letter of resignation. The support the AAC got from the honourable minister and the APC was unconditional and those conditions my deputy alleged in the statement drafted for him by Governor Wike are false, crude lies."

He added that the alliance between the AAC and APC for the governorship election is as a result of their shared love for the state and shared vision to liberate Rivers State from the shackles of cultism, rapidly growing poverty and insecurity in the hands of the current administration. Mr Awara said the actions of his running mate will not impact on his plans to keep fighting the regime of Governor Wike.

Mr Awara added: “One of the reasons I picked him as my running mate was because of the long running relationship between the Ogoni and Kalabari people, dating back to pre-independence. I also chose him because I saw a fatherly figure and capacity in him that could benefit Rivers youths, as I personally saw our joint ticket as Obama/Joe Biden ticket.”