Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has alleged that he was offered N5 billion to facilitate the governor’s impeachment. Ehie made this claim during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he stated that he has proof of the offer stored on his phone.
“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,” he said. “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, who was the majority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly at the time, claims that the bribe was an attempt to pressure him into working against Governor Fubara. He did not disclose the identities of those who allegedly made the offer but stated that he had taken precautions by documenting and distributing evidence of the proposal.
In addition to this, Ehie also addressed allegations that he was involved in the October 30, 2023, bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex. The claim was made by a former Head of Service, George Nwaeke, during a press conference last week.
Nwaeke alleged that he saw Ehie receive a bag of money at the Government House for the operation, although he admitted he did not know the exact amount inside.
Dismissing these allegations, Ehie stated, “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 30th of October 2023 to hear of the burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Ehie further revealed that he has instructed 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 also claimed that Nwaeke had approached him for financial assistance on the same day he resigned as the state’s head of service, suggesting that Nwaeke’s allegations could be politically motivated.
Rivers State has been experiencing political instability since Governor Fubara’s fallout with his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The situation escalated when President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18, suspending both the governor and his deputy. Following this, on March 26, the newly appointed sole administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas, suspended all political officeholders in the state.
