N23.29b Poll Bribery Scandal: EFCC arrest Cross River State PDP chairman for collecting N500 million bribe [Mr Ntufam John Okon ]

The Cross River State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been arrested by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the alleged N23.29n poll bribery scandal.


Cross River Watch confirms that Mr Ntufam John Okon is currently being held at EFCC South South Zonal office in Port Harcourt.

Okon was arrested on Wednesday May 4, by operatives of the anti graft commission who stormed the State PDP secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway. The agency also quizzed two of Okon’s co accused, Senator Chris Anyanwu and Buhari’s former counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ahamba, on the matter.

"The trio were allegedly paid N1.2billion out of the N23.29billlion bribe allegedly given by former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Maduekwe to compromise INEC officials in the last general election. Anyanwu and Ahamba were allegedly paid N700m while Okon was paid N500million".

CrossRiverWatch learnt that the Commission is preparing charges against the PDP Chair and he may be charged to court soon. Other suspects named in the bribery scandal include some oil industry chiefs who were believed to have been used by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to raise the bribe.

"The oil barons contributed $88.35million of the $115million (N23.29b) sent to Fidelity Bank by the ex-minister. The money was for some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to alter the results of last year’s presidential election."

Source: Cross River Watch