In February 2017, the Nigeria Police Force unveiled a sensational case of alleged electoral fraud in Rivers State, accusing then–Governor Nyesom Wike of orchestrating a massive bribe to influence the outcome of the December 10, 2016 legislative re-run election.
According to a police investigative panel led by a Commissioner of Police, Wike allegedly deployed a staggering ₦360 million to compromise officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Investigators said about 23 electoral officers received a share of the money, with three reportedly collecting their portions directly from the governor inside the Rivers State Government House.
At a dramatic press briefing in Abuja, the police displayed ₦111 million in cash—said to be part of the alleged bribe money—recovered from some of the INEC officials who were arrested.
Deputy Commissioner of Police and Force Public Relations Officer Don Awunah announced that forensic experts had been brought in to analyze key evidence, including telephone conversations and audio recordings.
The scandal deepened after the release of leaked audio tapes in which voices said to be Governor Wike’s were heard negotiating with INEC officials to rig results in key local government areas. In another recording, Wike allegedly boasted to then-Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose about how he outmaneuvered security agencies during the election.
Wike publicly denied the tapes’ authenticity, but the police said they sought call data from telecommunications companies to support the investigation.
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Wike, in turn, sued the Nigeria Police Force in a bid to halt the inquiry, but the police legal team led by senior lawyer Femi Falana pushed back, insisting the investigation must continue.
Despite the dramatic evidence display and the nationwide outrage, the police panel’s final report has never been publicly released. Wike maintained his innocence and denounced the allegations as political persecution.
The 2017 scandal remains one of Nigeria’s most striking examples of the alleged intersection of politics, money, and electoral manipulation—an episode that continues to haunt debates about election integrity and accountability in the country.
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