Rivers PDP, APC squabble over Wike

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have continued their war of words over allegation that security operatives have frustrated efforts by aides of the Rivers State governor to remove hidden money from his Abuja residence.

It will be recalled that Governor Nyesom Wike, had over the weekend, accused the Inspector General of Police, of issuing a directive to police operatives to raid his house in Abuja and possibly plant incriminating materials against him.

Yesterday the ruling party in Rivers accused opposition APC and its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, of circulating report through social media that Governor Wike attempted to relocate money from his Abuja residence.

The PDP said the circulated report by the APC leaders has proved that the party was working with the police to raid Wike’s Abuja residence to plant weapons and money in the house saying “it is shameful that the APC was willing to descend to the low to spread false propaganda.

“However, the public should take note of Chris Finebone with the backing of the police has been circulating deliberate falsehood on behalf of the APC against Governor Wike and the Rivers State Government.”

But Finebone, who denied PDP’s accusation against him and the APC, told The Guardian that he had been out of Rivers State for a week and that he had equally read something close to what the PDP was talking about just like any other regular user of the social media.

“I think they should look elsewhere to ascertain the origin of their problem. Gov. Nyesom Wike should deal with any situation he has created for himself. It appears the governor has too many ghosts chasing him; he should deal with the situation without much complaint. The he-goat gets the size of scrotum it deserves. I have strict self-imposed ethical standard when it comes to what I do; I will never engage in shady practices that many do (including PDP people) on the Internet for whatever reasons” said Finebone.

A report circulated on social media alleged that aides to Governor Wike have been making frantic attempts to relocate cash stashed away at the governor’s private residence in Asokoro Extension in Abuja, but security operatives have thwarted their efforts.

Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, told The Guardian that the allegation that the governor’s aides were making efforts to move cash out his Abuja residence was spurious and blatant lie.

Governor Wike over the weekend said that the IGP had issued the order for his private house in Asokoro, Abuja to be searched for inexplicable reason.

“I don’t live in Abuja and I cannot keep anything in Abuja. They can go and plant either AK-47 or $1 million and say they found it in the governor’s house. They can even put wristwatches that are so expensive that cost up to $10 million and say oh! We discovered it from the governor’s private residence. And I said I have to let Nigerians know that this is not the way to go about in democracy, rather this is an attempt to truncate democracy.

“They will go to court on Tuesday to seek an order. I am not afraid, but I just want to let Nigerians know. They went to Senator Goje’s house the other night when the man was not around. We are aware that they said they got from office or house of Suswam, AK-47 and this and that; the man was not there.

“Now again, all these things are plots to say we got guns. If I have gun, why would I keep it in Abuja? It is here (Rivers State) that I am waiting for them for fight; I don’t need to go and keep gun in Abuja. I will not fight there (Abuja). It is here (Rivers) that we are fighting because I have said that they will not rig election,” he said.