The president’s spokesman Garba Shehu has faulted Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for criticising the state pardon granted to Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, former governors of Plateau and Taraba respectively.

The government had announced the pardon of 159 convicted persons, including the former governors, after the Council of State meeting on Thursday.

While reacting to the state pardon, Mr Wike said the pardon granted to the two former governors was a “disservice” to the judiciary.

The Rivers governor claimed that the two former governors were granted pardons so that they can help the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general election.

But Mr Shehu knocked back such claims, saying Mr Wike does not have the “moral justification” to criticise the decision since he did not attend the Council of State meeting despite being invited.

Mr Shehu added that Ipalibo Banigo, Rivers deputy governor, who attended the meeting virtually, switched off her camera and it was thus difficult to determine if she monitored the meeting or walked away.

“I do not see the moral justification for Governor Wike’s criticism of the decision of the government to pardon Governors Dariye and Nyame at a meeting to which he was duly invited but did not attend,” Mr Shehu said in a series of tweets.

“The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, who joined the Council of State meeting virtually, switched off her camera, so it was difficult to determine whether she sat behind the dark screen or just walked away after first joining.”

Mr Nyame had been serving a 12-year jail term after he was convicted for diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure as governor of Taraba. Mr Dariye on his part was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for N1.126 billion fraud.