Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to disband the two anti-graft agencies in the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), saying that the recent pardon to two former politically exposed persons over corruption charge was done in bad faith.
Wike spoke in Kano on Monday while responding to questions from journalists over the recent granting of pardon to former Plateau State Governor, Sen Joshua Dariye and and former Taraba State Governor Rev Jolly Nyame who were convicted of corruption.
The Rivers State Governor said, “By granting pardon to the former governors, President Buhari has disgraced the EFCC and the ICPC and should immediately disband them.”
Wike, who also paid a courtesy call on Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, said that Nigeria was bleeding and the country needs people like himself to rescue it, adding that Nigerians must begin to talk about the unity and togetherness of the country beyond party lines.
He said, “There is no gainsaying that the country is not getting it right and there should be a desperate effort to save the country, and by this, I’m out to right the wrongs.”
But Wike agreed that should Ganduje be contesting the presidency, he wouldn’t have tried to contest because he knew he would not make it.
He said, “If Ganduje is running for the Presidency, some of us will quickly withdraw our ambitions, but thank God he is not running and I’m sure he will help me to make it.”
In his address, Governor Ganduje explained that the diversity of the Wike presidential team reflects Nigeria, saying that the development clearly shows that the man believes in the greatness of Nigeria.
He said, “Party differences should not make us stupid, our diversity is an advantage, even though we failed to utilize our diversity, each one of us must try in his own bid to change the status quo.”
He called on the Nigerian governors to be responsible for national integration, using their states and should act and see people as part of themselves by allowing them to own properties.
Theideal recalls that a legal luminary and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), had faulted the state pardon granted to Dariye and Nyame.
Speaking during the one-year remembrance programme for the late Publicity Secretary of Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, Falana described the pardon of the two governos as illegal and discriminatory.
Falana said: “My reaction is that all criminals, thieves in our prisons should be released. Because section 17 of the 1999 Constitution says there shall be equality, equal rights for all citizens and section 42 said there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class, gender, whatever, so you can’t take out two people and leave the rest there. It’s illegal.”
