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MIKE-CONNECT

Edo INEC REC is my cousin, you can’t intimidate him – Wike tells Obaseki’s PDP.

This is in reaction to claims that Onuoha and Wike are working together to sabotage the South-South state’s next governorship election, scheduled for September 21, 2024.

The PDP’s Anthony Aziegbemhin, the chairman of the Edo State chapter, expressed concern on Thursday over the minister and the INEC REC’s apparent too-close relationship.

Aziegbemhin continued by disclosing that Onuoha is Wike’s cousin and that, during the latter’s tenure as Rivers State Governor, the former held the positions of Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing.

The PDP chairman stated these in a protest letter submitted to INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, in which he called for the redeployment of Onuoha from the state ahead of the all-important election.

“The ties between these two are too close to ignore as they share familiarities and are also close associates. To be clear, the relationship between the two is outlined below:

“The said Edo REC is a cousin to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Wike. He also served as a former Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey and Housing to Mr Wike during his tenure as Rivers governor,” the letter partly read.

Wike says no one can intimidate his cousin

Responding to Aziegbemhin’s allegations, Wike first admitted the familial ties between him and the REC before calling out the Edo PDP chairman.

”Do you know who Aziegbemhin is? This is one of the people who have no character. He doesn’t have character, he knows.

”Money is a terrible thing. Let him challenge me on how he became chairman of the PDP. I, Wike, played a role [in his emergence],’‘ the FCT minister said on Channels Television‘s Politics Today on Friday, September 13, 2024.

Wike wondered if Aziegbemhin knew Onuoha was his cousin when Governor Godwin Obaseki brought the party’s candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo, to his (Wike) residence twice to seek support and endorsement.

“When his governor, Obaseki came to me when I said we’re scouting to support Ighodalo, was he there? They didn’t know then that the REC was my cousin.

Wike claimed that the Edo PDP had committed a grave error by disrespecting his cousin, characterising her as unyielding.

He said the INEC REC can’t be bullied nor will he cower in the face of threat and intimidation.

“See, let me tell you the mistake they made. For accusing my first cousin, you know why? I thought I was strong, but you’re meeting a rock. Even the INEC chairman can’t tell him what to do. He will tell you to go to hell with your job.

“You see, the problem with Nigeria is that until you kowtow. So more than one year, he has been there, you never knew he was Wike’s cousin,” he said.

On the allegation that he influenced Onuoha’s appointment and deployment to Edo, the FCT Minister questioned if the accusers expected him to block his relative’s appointment because it displeased them.

”So I will influence my enemy’s appointment? I should go and influence my enemy’s appointment? So If I hear that my cousin is appointed, I should go to call the Imam. Call pastors and say please don’t allow my cousin to be appointed? I shouldn’t say please help him to be appointed? What nonsense is that?

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