Politics
I was offered N5bn to impeach Fubara – CoS, Ehie
In a surprising twist to the political machinations in Rivers State, Chief of Staff to suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Mr. Edison Ehie, has come out with claims that he was offered N5 billion to coordinate the impeachment of his principal.
This comes as Fubara, on Monday vowed to continue to defend the interests of Rivers People, just as the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in the state disclosed their plan to sue President Bola Tinubu’s appointed Sole Administrator of Rivers State for the alleged misuse of fund.
Making appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Ehie alleged that he has evidence of the bribe offer stored on his phone.
He said: “I can also open my phone to show you, in the beginning of October 2023, when they approached me with a bribe of N5 billion. It is here in my phone,
“It was for impeachment. It’s here. I have it and I have printed it and distributed it, in case, in their evil imagination, they decide to attack me. I already have a son and a brother.”
Ehie disclosed that the offer was made while he was serving as the majority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He also refuted allegations that he orchestrated the October 30, 2023, bombing of the Rivers Assembly complex on Fubara’s orders.
The allegation was made by a former Head of Service in the state, George Nwaeke, who alleged that he witnessed a bag of money being handed over to Ehie at the Government House to execute the operation.
Waving aside the claims as untrue and politically motivated, Ehie noted that : “It is very important to clarify that I had no hand and was not part of the burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Like everyone else, I woke up in the early hours of October 30, 2023 to hear of the burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Ehie disclosed that he had given instructions to his lawyers to file a lawsuit against Nwaeke for criminal libel.
“I will not join issues completely with Mr. George Nwaeke because I have already instructed my lawyers to file an issue of criminal libel against him, and I hope he is very prepared to substantiate his claims and his allegations,” he said.
He further noted that Nwaeke had sought financial assistance from him on the same day he resigned as head of service.
