The PDP faction thwarted INEC to open the ground for alleged cash gifts from Wike

A faction in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come clean on gifts of land and cash said to have been given to senior members of the commission by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The party in a statement issued Tuesday by Ini Ememobong, its National Publicity Secretary, noted that such gifts were clearly intended to influence the actions and decisions of the commission in the upcoming general elections.

The statement read: “last week, the news media was flooded with stories about the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, @GovWike offering gifts of land and cash to senior staff of the Commission. Then, another story emerged where Mr Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who is the National Commissioner for Supervision of the FCT, was quoted as having acknowledged the gifts of land.

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“This news is deeply troubling and worrying and appears to connect the dots in a land allocation scenario that is currently widely speculated to be a strategy to capture the Minister institutionally. Surprisingly, these land gifts were given to officials in institutions critical to the election, even though there were other officials in important development sectors, such as health professionals, teachers and even security officers whose duties required them to reside in the capital. We have never heard of any land allocations to these people, of course because they are not directly linked to the election process.

“We hereby demand that the INEC National Chairman come clean on the allegations leveled against top officials, and even himself, as he is also accused of being a beneficiary. These stories, at times like these, deepen the erosion of public trust in election umpires whose credibility is tarnished. “Therefore, as a matter of urgency and priority, the Commission must inform the public about the true situation regarding this matter.

“The Commission must always remember that it must strive to be, like Caesar’s wife, above board, and ensure that transparency and impartiality are not just slogans but are evident in both its words and actions.”