Rivers PDP guber aspirant to remain in custody till May 23

• Federal lawmaker accuses Wike of nailing him with falsehood 
Magistrate’s Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned till May 23, the commencement of the trial of a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Farah Dagogo, who is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and cultism.

When the matter was mentioned in court, yesterday, the prosecution counsel, Chidi Ekeh, informed the court that the two charges against Dagogo had been filed at the state high court.

Dagogo, who is also a member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency, was not produced in court and no reason was given. His counsel, Femi Adegbite, applied for bail, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.

Chief Magistrate, Amadi Nna, adjourned the matter till May 23. Addressing journalists outside the courtroom, the state prosecutor, Chidi Eke, said they filed fresh charges against the governorship hopeful at the Rivers State High Court.

MEANWHILE, Dagogo has accused Wike of plotting to nail him with falsehood. Dagogo, in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt by his media aide, Ibrahim Lawal, alleged that the charges against him, which he described as trumped-up, were well calculated and masterminded by the governor and his aides, to put him away and scuttle his governorship ambition.

The statement reads: “Governor Nyesom Wike, during a thanksgiving service in a church, confirmed our concerns and fears that the trumped-up charges levelled against Hon. Farah Dagogo by the governor is a well-calculated attempt, masterminded by the governor and his co-conspirators to put Dagogo away and out of circulation and scuttle his governorship aspiration.

“At the thanksgiving service, the governor admitted in public what was being rumoured in private, that he wields lots of influence on the judiciary and as such would frustrate and prevent any bail application for Dagogo. We want to believe that the Judiciary remains the very hope for a fair adjudication and the coming days will tell us more. 

“He equally justified his illegal declaration of Dagogo as a cultist and a criminal in conformity with his attempt to tarnish the image of the federal lawmaker.” 

He said contrary to the governor’s claim, Dagogo is not a criminal, claiming that he had neither been charged as criminal nor convicted of any offence.

“His record remains unblemished,” he added.