Wike speaks on Edo election, relationship with state’s INEC REC

The Minister in charge of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he has a family relationship with the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha.

There had been speculations that Mr Onuoha was Mr Wike’s associate.

But speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, on Friday night, Mr Wike said the Edo INEC REC is his cousin who, however, has the wherewithal to act independently, unencumbered by family relationships or political interests.

He described Mr Onuoha as a personality whose decisions on duty cannot be influenced by anyone. He said the REC would do what is right in his handling of the Edo governorship election no matter the preferences of anyone else.

Mr Wike also said he told Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that he would not support Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next Saturday’s election in the state.

“I told him (Governor Obaseki) I am not going to support Ighodalo,” Mr Wike stated on Friday in an interview on Channels television.

The minister said Governor Obaseki brought the PDP candidate to his house in Abuja two times and asked for his support, which he declined.

While serving as governor of Rivers State, Mr Wike was the chairperson of Mr Obaseki’s re-election campaign in Edo State in 2020.

The former Rivers governor recalled how a former inspector general of police ordered him to leave Edo State, where he was campaigning for Mr Obaseki’s second term, but he refused.

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After winning the election, Mr Obaseki fell apart with Mr Wike. Mr Obaseki told Mr Wike then that the PDP was not his personal property and that “In Edo, we don’t accept political bullies and overlords.”

Asked why he turned down Mr Obaseki’s request to support the PDP candidate, Mr Wike said, “The one I supported never helped me; rather, I was insulted.” This suggests that he turned down Mr Obaseki’s request based on his 2020 experience.

INEC REC

The chairperson of the PDP in Edo State, Anthony Aziegbemi, on Thursday, demanded the redeployment of the INEC REC in the state, Mr Onuoha, alleging that the REC is Mr Wike’s associate.

Mr Wike acknowledged that the REC is his “cousin”, but said that even the chairperson of INEC cannot influence the decision of the REC.

He reminded the Edo PDP chairperson that he (Mr Wike) played a role in his becoming the party’s chairperson.

“When his governor came to meet me to support Mr Ighodalo, was he there? They didn’t know that the REC was my cousin?

“When Mr Obaseki brought Mr Ighodalo to my house two times to support him, they didn’t know that the REC was my cousin? It is just today that they just knew that he is my cousin? He was posted more than one year ago.”

Mr Wike said after supporting Mr Obaseki in 2020, he (Wike) “became a stupid man” and added that he does not “like ingrate in life.”

He said he would also not support the APC candidate for the Edo governorship election because he (Wike) is not a member of the APC.