The Presidency has lambasted Governor of Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, Nyesom Wike’s complaint about the state pardon granted to two former governors describing it as bolekaja politics.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Senior Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu said this in a series of tweet.
Earlier, the national council of state had granted state pardon to former governors, Joshua Dariye and Jolly nyame of Plateau and Taraba states respectively who are currently serving jail terms for corruption.
The decision was taken at a council of state meeting presided over by President Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Wike had faulted the state pardon granted to two former Governors convicted for corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the pardon a “disservice to the judiciary”.
Wike said the Buhari regime’s anti-corruption war was selective.
Wike stated this in Minna, Niger State, when he visited PDP delegates ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
Wike also stated that the state pardon granted to former Governors of Plateau, Joshua Dariye, and his Taraba State counterpart, Jolly Nyame, is strategically done towards the forthcoming general election.
“He obviously wants them to help him during the elections, he wasn’t Dariye to help with Plateau while Nyame will work for Taraba.
“If it is not for election purpose, why did he not grant pardon to the likes of James Ibori and Atuche?
But, Garba Shehu while responding to Wike said, he lacks justification to talk on the issue as he was invited but didn’t appear.
The tweet read, “I do not see the moral justification for Governor Wike’s criticism of the decision of the government to pardon Governors Dariye and Nyame at a meeting to which he was duly invited but did not attend.
“The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo who joined the Council of State meeting virtually switched off her camera so it was difficult to determine whether she sat behind the dark screen or just walked away after first joining.
“If the Governor felt so strongly about the pardons, the right was for him or his representative to sit through the meeting and assert views. This did not do. A press release after the meeting is bolekaja politics.”
