We Will Not Declare Our Asset Publicly- APC Governors

Less than one after President Bihari and his Vice Professor Yemi Osinbajo, publicly declared their assets, governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress have said they will not follow suit.

According to the Punch, APC governors noted that they will not be forced to publicly declare their assets saying there is nowhere in the constitution that mandated them to do so.

APC Governors explained that they were only mandated to furnish the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) with the information of their properties and not to the public.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, told the Punch that it was not his duties to publish his assets but that of the CCB adding that the law required that he declared his properties to the CCB but silenced about public declaration.

Lalong said " I have declared my assets as required by the law and it is left for the Code of Conduct Bureau to publish it. I don't think that the law makes it mandatory for me to publish my assets. Anybody who wants to know should approach the bureau for the form I filled and submitted to it.

The IMO state governor , Rochas Okorocha said that those drumming for this assets declaration are mainly the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, who said are still shock of their defeat at the poll. He added that the reason for this call by the opposition is with the intention to frustrate the government.

Okorocha said "I will not rule the people of the state by public opinion . There were no calls for declaration of asset during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan"

The governor decision was conveyed by his spokesman, Sam Onwuamando, who said that public assets declaration was an individual decision not a collective one.

Governor Aregbesola, of Osun State has not dispose to the public assets declaration as details of his worth which he had sent to the CCB.

Aregbesola's spokesman, Semiu Okanlawon said " The constitution does not state that the governor should declare his asset publicly. I know that the governor has declared his assets to CCB. The governor has met all the necessary constitutional requirements"

Same applies to Nassarawa State governor, Tanko Al-makura, he kept mute on the issue of public assets declaration. The governor media aide, Takur Ahmed, decline comment on the issue of asset declaration of his principal.

Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo state disclosed that he will not publicly declare his assets.

Speaking through his mouthpiece, Kassim Afegbua, said "My governor has said while it is constitutional for public officers to declare their assets, making it public is not a matter of enshrined in 1999 constitution.

" Every public officer is bound to declare, but the idea of making it public is not the constitution"

In the situation it was not different with Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi who has distanced himself from public assets declaration .

A source said that Ajimobi had declared his assets to CCB in the buildup to the general election. He said that governor did it twice in 2011 and 2015 saying that there is nothing for the governor to hide.

Also, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode is not prepared to declare his assets.

The source said there is no moral reason for the governor to make his assets public.. "He did not promise to do so during his campaigns. Bihari made it a campaign issue and he has fulfilled his promise"

The situation was not different in Adamawa state, as Governor Jibrilla Bindow has held the same opinion of his colleagues.

For Kano state governor Abdullahi  Ganduje and his Borno state counterpart, Kashim Shettima, public assets declaration is not compulsory.