Published 13th Jul, 2023

By Sodeeq Atanda

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu received former governors elected with him upon the country’s return to democracy in 1999.

Some of the 36 governors elected in different states under different political platforms at the time have died, and of those still alive, some are are no more key players in Nigerian politics.

Interestingly, two members of the class went ahead to become presidents of Nigeria at different times. First, it was Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and then Tinubu, the incumbent president.

It is also imperative to note that the said class took the accolades of producing six members whose journey could not reach Aso Rock but the high walls of prisons.

Here are six 1999 governors convicted of fraud:

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa)

In compliance with Nigeria’s constitution, Alamieyeseigha filed and submitted his asset declaration form to the Code of Conduct Bureau before his inauguration as the Governor of Bayelsa State in 1999.

He had a few landed properties, cars, two bank accounts and buildings all valued to be above N67 million.

By the time he was seeking re-election, his net worth had grown exponentially. His questionable acquisition of wealth could not stand the test of regulatory scrutiny. He was first impeached by the State House of Assembly in 2005. His eventual admission of guilt to corruption charges before a Lagos federal high court sent him to prison in 2007.

Jolly Nyame – Taraba State

Jolly Nyame, a former Governor of Taraba State, governed the state from 1999 to 2007, the permissible number of years under the constitution.

Like his Bayelsa State counterpart, Nyame also had his days in prison for money diversion.

The court found him guilty of approving the diversion of public funds amounting to N345 million to a private company, Saman global, within five weeks in 2005.

James Ibori – Delta State

Prior to his return to Nigeria, James Ibori was jailed for credit card crime in the United Kingdom.

The former UK convict came back to rule Delta State as governor for eight years. Upon leaving office, attempts to make him face the law for financial crimes met brick walls.

He eventually faced a money laundering lawsuit in the UK, where he got a 13-year jail term for about £50 million fraud.

Joshua Dariye – Plateau State

After ruling Plateau State for eight years, Joshua Dariye went on to become a senator representing Plateau Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate.

But that would not shield him from answering for criminal misappropriation of the state resources when he held sway as Plateau governor.

A high court of the Federal Capital Territory sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment in 2018. He succeeded in getting the term reduced to ten years at the Court of Appeal.

The offence for which the court convicted the ex-governor was the misappropriation of N1.126 billion from Plateau government’s ecological fund.

Lucky Igbinedion – Edo State

Like some of his 1999 governorship club mates, Lucky Igbinedion, who led Edo State as governor from 1999-2007, was also found guilty of monetary fraud.

The court fined him of N3.5 million in 2008 following a criminal lawsuit filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He accepted to pay the money in place of six months in jail.

The EFCC levelled an allegation of embezzling N2.6 billion against him. He, however, pleaded guilty in a plea bargain arrangement and was ordered to refund N500 million and forfeit three Abuja-located properties by a federal high court sitting in Enugu.

He was on the team that visited Tinubu yesterday.

Orji Uzor Kalu – Abia

Orji Uzor Kalu was the Governor of Abia State from 1999 to 2007, the same time Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos State.

The EFCC charged him to a Lagos federal high court where he was found guilty of financial fraud to the tune of N7.65 billion.

He perpetrated the crime using Slok Nigeria Limited, a private company belonging to him. The court ordered the company to be wounded up and all assets forfeited to the government.

He is now a lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the 10th Senate. He was part of the 9th Senate as well. At the valedictory session of the 9th senate in June, he wept publicly, saying Nigeria was unfair to him.

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