Wike alleges FG plot to block Rivers’ bank accounts

Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, have directed Managing Directors of Banks to deny Rivers state cash during the weeks of 2019 elections.

Governor Wike said that he received the information on the alleged illegal cash strangulation of the Rivers state by few banks’ Managing Directors who attended the meeting with the CBN Governor and EFCC chairman.

Wike, who spoke at the PDP campaign rally at Ogu/Bolo local government area on Tuesday, said the alleged plot will fail woefully.

He said: “The CBN governor and the EFCC chairman invited the Managing Directors of banks and told them to deny Rivers state cash during the elections.  They told them to strangulate Rivers state.

“We have passed that stage. Nobody can gag us. Before now, we prepared for the elections.  They should not bother, because we are ready”.

The governor said rather than cry over the insistence of the international community that the APC-led federal government should conduct credible polls, President Muhammadu Buhari should emulate Former President Goodluck Jonathan who organised free and fair elections and lost.

“In 2015, the APC went to the International Community and got their support. They supported them and the PDP lost.

‘Today, the APC-led federal government is crying because the international community is insisting on credible polls.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should conduct credible polls and earn international respect. Buhari should emulate Former President Goodluck Jonathan.  He should not rig with security agencies because it will not work”, he said.

He added: “PDP is ready for elections in 2019. We have won all previous elections in the state. In 2015, they claimed we won because of Jonathan.  But we won all the rerun elections under Buhari administration, except the ones they snatched illegally.

“If not for their planned reliance on security agencies, nobody will collect  APC nomination forms. There is no imprint of APC anywhere in Rivers state.”