Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, has faulted Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, for criticising the state pardon granted to Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau, and Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba.
On Thursday, the council of state pardoned 159 inmates, including the two former governors.
Nyame was sentenced to a 12-year jail term for diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure as governor of Taraba, while Dariye was on 10 years imprisonment for N1.126 billion fraud.
Reacting to the state pardon, Wike said the pardon granted to the two former governors was a “disservice” to the judiciary.
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The Rivers governor claimed that the two former governors were granted pardons so that they can help the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general election.
Responding to Wike, Shehu said Wike does not have the “moral justification” to criticise the decision since he did not attend the council of state meeting despite being invited.
The presidential spokesperson added that Ipalibo Banigo, Rivers deputy governor, who attended the meeting virtually, switched off her camera and it was difficult to determine if she monitored the meeting or walked away.
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“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,” Shehu said in a series of tweets.
“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.
— Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) April 16, 2022
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