However, reacting to the allegation of inducement on the part of the governor, Okah said: “The allegation that Governor Wike gave AAC’s deputy governorship candidate (Yeeh) N200million is not correct; it is untrue and it is absolute nonsense.
Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, has denied the allegation that he induced the defection of Akpo Bomba Yeeh, the deputy governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking through Emma Okah, his Commissioner for Information and Communications, on Monday, he denied giving Yeeh N200million to Yeeh to defect to his party.
Yeeh, who was the running mate to Biokpomabo Awara, the AAC governorship candidate, had announced his withdrawal and immediate defection to the PDP through a letter sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said his decision was influenced by the "complete hijack of the structure and administration of our party by a faction of the APC in Rivers State led by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his personal political ambition".
However, reacting to the allegation of inducement on the part of the governor, Okah said: “The allegation that Governor Wike gave AAC’s deputy governorship candidate (Yeeh) N200million is not correct; it is untrue and it is absolute nonsense.
“Chief Yeeh is a respected elder from Ogoni Kingdom and his action by removing himself from being used to destabilise Rivers State and cause pain to the people is commendable.
“Everything is not about money, as there are lots of good people around. We should commend him (Yeeh) for taking the bold and historic step, instead of calling him names.
“Future generations of our people will remember the moral lesson of his present actions.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) had been barred from featuring candidates for elections in Rivers State and had chosen to back Awara, the AAC candidate.