Probe Wike’s Spending On Presidential Aspiration – Rivers Youth Group Urges Security Agencies, INEC
A youth watchdog – Rivers State Youth Democratic League For Transparency (RSYDLT), on Tuesday called on the relevant security, financial crime agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to as a matter of urgency and necessity launch investigations into the sources of funds being deployed by Governor Nyesom Wike on his presidential aspiration.
RSYDLT specifically said that Governor Wike’s campaigns have been earth-shaking making its sources of funds suspect adding that its import appears denigrating to the people of Rivers State.
In a statement, he RSYDLT said that it is worried that Governor Wike, who has no known legal practice since he joined politics in 1998, is criss-crossing States of the Federation meeting ‘kingmakers’, traditional rulers, stakeholders, delegates and spending inordinately from undefined sources
The statement signed by its Convener, Raymond George noted that even with complaints by Civil Society Organisations that the N5 billion campaign ceiling expenditure stipulated by the 2022 Electoral Act for presidential candidates is bogus, unreasonable, and susceptible to corruption, there are fears that Wike could surpass that figure as an aspirant if nothing restrains the spending binge.
George further said; “What has not been explained is the source of these humongous spending by Governor Wike just on ‘consultation’ with stakeholders and other Party members? Are they sourced from family inheritance? Are they donations from ‘supporters’ and who are these supporters, if any, that have chosen duskiness?
“Though not lining behind an allegation by one Mustapha Abubakar and few others that have publicly accused Wike of complicity and double standards in the destruction of illegal refineries in a particular section of the State, RSYDLT feel the need to probe such claims as the Governor is yet to refute this allegation.
“This is where the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), should step in and investigate all possible leads on this alleged economic sabotage, part of which has cut Nigeria’s daily crude oil production from 1.883 million barrels per day to 1.3 million barrels per day. All conjunctures should be investigated extensively. That’s our stand,” he said.
The RSYDLT convener noted that in January 2022, Wike ordered all Local Government chairmen in the State to identify and with the assistance from the security agents destroy all illegal refineries in the State, adding however that public observations attest that illegal refiners and refineries are still operating freely in Okrika and have been shielded from destruction perhaps because of the governor’s alleged relationship with a former warlord who is also a paramount ruler there.
George also said; “Is Wike a beneficiary of this illegality and friendship? So far, he has refused to speak to this hence, the relevance for a second look at this among other sources of this obscene election spending.
“Of the 16 other aspirants who have picked forms for the presidential primary including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former Ekiti governor, Ayo Fayose; a former President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; Investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; Pharmacist Sam Ohuabunwa; Publisher Dele Momodu; US-based medical doctor Nwachukwu Anakwenze; and Tareila Diana, the only female aspirant, among others, we are yet to witness these unmatched heavy weather ‘consultations’ as if he is a candidate already,” George stressed.
The Rivers Youth organisation noted that on the hand, other aspirants such as Tambuwal, Mohammed, Saraki and Hayatu-Deen have been consulting albeit low key and restricted to government houses, on the need for a consensus candidate
