Group urges EFCC to probe Okowa over alleged $3m bribe for VP slot
By Paul Michael, Abuja
A group, Delta Central for Integrity and Good Governance (DCIGG) has urged Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate and probe the alleged payment of $3 million bribe by the Delta State Governor, Sen Ifeanyi Okowa to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a lobby for the Vice President slot ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The group had alleged that $3 million was paid to intensify the lobbying of senior PDP officials including the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and General Aliyu Gusau.
The group also alleged that the Delta Governor paid $1 million to the PDP National Chairman and $2million to Gusau.
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The claim in the petition could not be independently verified by The Trumpet at the time of filing this report, however, the money, the group claimed, was meant to influence key decision-makers whom Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the party’s flag bearer, and his team may likely consult before arriving at a concrete and acceptable person as Vice Presidential candidate.
It was gathered that while the PDP chairman, Ayu is supposed to use part of the $1million to lobby members of the inner circle of the National Working Committee, Gusau is expected to use part of the $2million to lobby Northern elders.
The DCIGG, in a statement signed by Comrade Stanley Oshiovorie, called on the EFCC to save the people of Delta State and recover the $3 million being shared among
The group said, “It is the Delta people’s money and it must be recovered. Instead of using our state money for development, they are using it for the highest bidder.
“The money was part of the cash set aside by Okowa to use for his earlier planned presidential ambition after he decided not to run for the Senate. Okowa recently boasted that only God could stop him from becoming Atiku’s running mate.
“With these developments, Atiku Abubakar may lose the Niger Delta votes. He can not expect to sell a VP slot to the highest bidder.”
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