Sallah Gift or Bribe? Lawmaker Responds to $5,000 Distribution Allegations

• The clarification came accusations that some lawmakers were bribed to support President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State
• The decision has sparked controversy and drawn criticism from opposition voices who question the motives behind the move.
• Hon. Philip Agbese denounced the claims as “false, malicious, and coming from the pit of hell.

Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has refuted claims that the $5,000 given to each committee member was a bribe. Instead, he stated that the money was a customary gift for the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Eko Hot Blog reports that in a post shared by Nigerian investigative journalist Jaafar Jaafa on his social media account, Betara explained that the distribution of funds was part of a longstanding tradition within the National Assembly.

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He emphasized that the cash gift was not connected to any political decision-making process related to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

“The Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 with each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah gesture,’ not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.

As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg,”* Jaafar wrote.

The clarification came accusations that some lawmakers were bribed to support President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, with payments allegedly made on Tuesday and Wednesday, just before the vote.

The state of emergency was declared by President Tinubu in response to political instability and security concerns, including incidents of oil pipeline vandalism.

However, the decision has sparked controversy and drawn criticism from opposition voices who question the motives behind the move.

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Betara distanced himself from the bribery allegations, while the House Deputy Spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, denounced the claims as “false, malicious, and coming from the pit of hell.

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