I Have No Relationship With Ibori – Dogara

SAN FRANCISCO, December 23, (THEWILL) – Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has declared that he does not have any personal relationship with James Ibori, a former governor of Delta state.

Dogara made the clarification in a statement where he reacted to the claim credited to Senator Peter Nwabaoshi, Ibori influenced his Dogara's emergence as Speaker.

According to the statement, Dogara insisted that he was duly elected by members of the lower legislative chamber.

“Our attention has been drawn to statement credited to Senator Peter Nwabaoshi, who was quoted as saying that former Delta state governor James Ibori supported the emergence of Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara as speaker of the House of Representatives,” the statement read.

“We have watched the video clip and noticed that there is nowhere the distinguish senator mentioned Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara by name.

“However, reports published in both online and print media insinuated that senator Peter Nwabaoshi referred to Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

“For the records, we want to state that the Rt. Hon. Speaker was elected by the votes of members of the House of Representatives.

“There may well be silent supporters and well-wishers of the honourable speaker from far and near some of whom he may not be aware of.

“Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara does not have a relationship, political or otherwise with former Governor James Ibori of Delta state to warrant the insinuations in the statement credited to Senator Nwabaoshi, and had never had one.”

Story by Oputah David