In December 2016, SaharaReporters reported how Wike, then as Rivers State Governor, was caught on tape as he held telephone conversations with INEC officials, political thugs, youth groups, and community representatives handpicked by him.
An audio recording of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike threatening an INEC official in 2016 has resurfaced amid public outrage over his recent threat to shoot Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloye.
Wike has faced widespread criticism from civil society organisations, media groups, and opposition figures over a controversial remark in which he claimed he would have “shot” a television anchor during a live broadcast.
The backlash erupted following comments Wike made at a media briefing in Abuja, where he was reacting to comments made by the Channels TV anchor Okinbaloye on the programme Politics Today.
Okinbaloye had questioned the potential for Nigeria to drift toward a one-party system amid the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress and the possible impact on opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
In reply, Wike stated, “If there’s any way to break the screen, I would have shot him,” a remark that has since drawn widespread condemnation.
Although some of Wike’s aides and supporters have tried to portray his threat against Okinbaloye as an isolated outburst, past incidents suggest a pattern. Records indicate he has previously made similar threats, including one directed at an INEC official.
In December 2016, SaharaReporters reported how Wike, then as Rivers State Governor, was caught on tape as he held telephone conversations with INEC officials, political thugs, youth groups, and community representatives handpicked by him.
In the telephone conversations, exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, Wike was arranging payments to the officials in exchange for their help in rigging legislative elections in the state.
The telephone conversations revealed Wike arranging with INEC officials, particularly those sent from Anambra and Plateau states, who were paid in batches to rig the election for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Etche, Khana, Ikwerre, and other key local government areas in the state, where Wike and his supporters boasted they would overwhelm opponents with violence.
One of Wike’s phone calls went to a female INEC official who was complaining that the money offered by Wike was not sufficient for the rigging task.
An infuriated Wike told the woman that he had already paid the electoral coordinator in Plateau State.
At one point in the conversation, when Wike was told that one of the electoral officers was reluctant to sign one of the result sheets, Wike threatened to demand his money back from the recalcitrant official.
Then, as if not satisfied with his threat to collect back his money, Wike voiced his intent to kill the official, stating that the man would not leave Rivers State alive.
In the audio, Wike was informed that an Electoral Officer posted from Plateau State refused to counter-sign the electoral materials in order to collect the bribe he was disbursing.
In response, he said, “Don’t worry, I will call the Plateau man now. I will tell him, if he does not return my this thing, I will deal with you.”
When the person on the call with him said, “No, let him just sign, that is all,” Wike said, “No, if it is that one, he should return whatever… I’m going to make sure that I kill him in this state. Just don’t worry.”
Wike then called one of his thugs identified as Owoh, and said, “Call that coordinator of Plateau, the man in Etche (Local Government Area), that I said he should warn his man in Khana (Local Government Area), that if he does rubbish, he should refund what we gave. That if he tries it, I will make sure that he never leaves this state.
“Tell him that he should warn him, if he is playing with people he thinks that he will collect that and begin to do rubbish, tell him that I said that they will see what I will do to him, if that is how they do.”
“In fact, call the three coordinators, that I said they should tell their people. If they want to joke with me, disturb me, I will kill them in this place before they leave, or they should return what I gave or I will kill them,” he added.
On December 19, 2016, The PUNCH reported how Wike told the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, how he used his office to influence the election rerun in his state (Rivers).
