Flashback: Poll Bribery Scandal: PDP Secretary Confesses to Collecting N700m on Governor Wike’s Instructions

By Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International

In a startling revelation that reopens debates about electoral integrity in Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that Mr. Samuel Johnson Okpoko, the detained Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, confessed to collecting ₦700 million poll bribery funds from Fidelity Bank Plc on the instruction of Governor Nyesom Wike.

The money, believed to be part of the controversial $115 million lodged with Fidelity Bank by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was allegedly used to influence the 2015 general elections in Rivers State.

According to a top EFCC source quoted by The Nation Newspaper, Okpoko admitted to withdrawing the money in two tranches — ₦600 million on March 27, 2015, and ₦100 million on March 31, 2015 — from Fidelity Bank’s Trans-Amadi branch in Port Harcourt.

“I was with my governor in his house sometime on March 27, 2015, when he received a call. After the call, Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike told me that the call was from Fidelity Bank and that they had some money for him. He instructed me to go to the bank and collect the funds, which I did in two batches,” Okpoko reportedly told EFCC interrogators.

Governor’s Immunity and EFCC’s Position

While Okpoko faces imminent prosecution, Governor Wike cannot be immediately interrogated or prosecuted due to constitutional immunity granted to sitting governors under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Section 308 explicitly shields governors from civil or criminal proceedings, arrest, or imprisonment while in office. However, EFCC has vowed to continue investigating the scandal and preserve evidence for possible prosecution once the governor’s tenure ends.

An EFCC source explained:

“Although we cannot invite Governor Wike now because of Section 308, this does not stop us from probing the ₦700 million transaction and asking for a refund from those who benefitted from the funds.”

Government’s Reaction

Governor Wike’s media aide, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, dismissed the allegations, saying the state government was not aware of any such transactions and describing media reports as speculative.

Nevertheless, the EFCC insists that Okpoko’s confessional statement, bank withdrawal records, and other corroborative evidence form a strong basis for criminal charges once constitutional barriers are lifted.

Why This Matters

This revelation once again highlights the endemic influence of illicit campaign financing on Nigeria’s electoral system. Analysts argue that until systemic reforms are implemented and immunity provisions reviewed, politically exposed persons may continue to evade accountability during their tenure, thereby undermining public trust in democratic institutions.

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Source: The Nation Newspaper (May 19, 2016)

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Tags: #EFCC #PollBribery #GovernorWike #FidelityBank #RiversState #ElectionRigging #Diezani #PDP #NigeriaPolitics #GlobalEgberi

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