Edo REC, Onuoha is my cousin – Wike

The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Friday expressed surprise that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was complaining about Anugbum Onuoha being the Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) some days before the election.

Wike said Onuoha is his first cousin and has been the REC in Edo State for over a year.

This comes after Tony Aziegbemi, Edo PDP chairman, asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to redeploy Onuoha over ties with Wike.

Aziegbemi had expressed a lack of confidence in the REC’s ability to conduct a free and fair election in the state.

Onuoha had served as a special adviser on lands to Wike as the governor of Rivers State.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday, the Minister disclosed that the Edo governor, Godwin Obaseki came with the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, seeking support.

According to him, he told Obaseki that he would not support Ighodalo, adding that he supported Obaseki in the past, who, he said, never helped anything but rather insulted him.

“When his governor, Obaseki, came to meet me to support Ighodalo, he (referring to Aziegbemi) was not there. They did not know that the REC is my cousin.

“When Obaseki brought Ighodalo to my house two times to support him, they did not know the REC is my cousin. It is just today that they know that he (Onuoha) is my cousin.

“He was posted to Edo more than one year ago. That is the problem I have with this country.

“I told them (Obaseki and Ighodalo) when they came to see me that I’m not going to support Ighodalo. Neither am I going to support anybody. The one I supported you never helped with anything but rather I was insulted.

“For accusing my first cousin, they have made a mistake. You know why? I was thinking I am strong; you are meeting a rock (Onuoha).

“Even the INEC chairman cannot tell him what to do. He is a stubborn man; he will tell him ‘go to hell with your job’.

“You see the problem with Nigeria. For more than one year, he has been there; they never knew he was Wike’s cousin.”