The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Monday slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for granting presidential pardon to the duo of former Plateau State governor, Joshua Dariye and his Taraba State counterpart, Jolly Nyame, who were convicted for corruption.
The National Council of State had last Thursday granted state pardon to the former governors and 157 other persons serving prison terms for various offences.
Wike, who addressed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates in Kano State as part of his ongoing consultation ahead of the party’s presidential primary, said the pardon granted to Dariye and Nyame was an embarrassment to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He added that the duo were pardoned because of the 2023 general elections.
The governor said: “This is the same government that complained against the judiciary that it is not fighting against corruption. Now, look at what the judges have passed through; sleepless nights from the FCT High Court to the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, everything is wasted.
“If President Muhammadu Buhari knows that he doesn’t want to fight corruption, then, he should disband EFCC and ICPC because he has thoroughly embarrassed them.
“So, all these things he (Buhari) is doing is because of the election coming soon. They want this person in Plateau State to help them and they want this person in Taraba State to help them. But it will not work because Wike will face them in that election.
“So, when his pressman (Garba Shehu) said I was invited to the Council of State, is it because I’m not there, that is why they did what they did?
“If you wanted me to contribute, you would have sent me the agenda. Then, I would have known what I’m coming to do in the meeting.
It’s not when you don’t send me agenda, I come, then you boxed us in, ambushed us, then you said I attended the meeting where they approved it. I will not attend such a meeting.
“When they said my deputy attended and when they looked back they could not see my deputy again. Why would you see her?
