Amaechi’s allegation against me laughable, says Patience Jonathan

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan,   Patience, on Monday, described an allegation of extortion levelled against her by the Rivers State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, as laughable.

Amaechi had, on Saturday, claimed that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, had been paying $1m (N199m) monthly to Mrs. Jonathan.

The governor had claimed that Wike was giving the money to the President’s wife in order to gain political favour.

Mrs. Jonathan, who spoke with our correspondent through her media aide, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi, however said there was no truth in the claim.

Adewuyi described Amaechi’s claim as laughable and ridiculous, saying that nothing short of such was expected from Amaechi.

He said, “The allegation that the First Lady is collecting money from Chief Wike monthly is laughable and ridiculous.

“You cannot but hear things like this from someone who is home alone.”

Wike himself had earlier denied the claim.

The governorship candidate, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Simeon Nwakudu, described Amaechi’s allegation as false and asked the governor to respond to the allegations of corruption against him.

Amaechi had said, “Do you know that the PDP governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike, has been giving one million dollars monthly to the wife of the President, Mrs Patience Jonathan? He has been doing this to gain political favour in the Presidency and to retain the favour.”