Confusion In Diri’s Camp, As FG Renders Apology Over PAP’s Misleading Information About MacIver’s Amnesty Status

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has retracted its previous statement that Joshua Maciver, the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, was not registered as a beneficiary of the amnesty and unconditional pardon granted to Niger Delta ex-agitators by the Federal Government.

In a new letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and dated August 24, 2023, the Interim Administrator of PAP, Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd), issued an unconditional apology for his earlier correspondence on July 7th, where he claimed that Joshua Maciver’s name could not be found in the register of amnesty beneficiaries.

In the letter, Ndiomu stated that the Technical and Data Unit of PAP, upon receiving the inquiry from the SGF’s Office in July, hastily provided a reply that misrepresented Maciver’s presidential pardon because they had not thoroughly scrutinized the register.

After conducting a thorough investigation, PAP discovered that Maciver, who is the running mate to the APC Governorship Candidate Chief Timipre Sylva, is indeed among the ex-agitators who received a presidential pardon from the late President Musa Yar’Adua.

Parts of the letter read: “I am writing in response to your letter with reference: SGF.19/S/105/178 dated 7 July 2023, as well as this organization’s reply under Reference OIA/PAP/IAO/VOL V/417 dated 7th July, 2023, concerning Mr. Joshua MacIver’s status as a beneficiary of the Presidential Amnesty Progromme (PAP).

“I would like to mention that due to the urgency of the confirmation, our Technical and Data Unit provided information hastily, as indicated by the dates of both the received letter and our response.

“Upon thorough investigation, we have identified an oversight in our records regarding Mr. Joshua Maciver’s PAP beneficiary status. It has now been established that Mr. MacIver received an unconditional pardon from the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

“We deeply regret any confusion or inconvenience caused by this oversight. Rest assured, we have taken corrective measures to rectify our records and prevent future discrepancies.

“We apologize for any misunderstandings and any inconvenience this misrepresentation may have caused. We remain steadfast and committed to maintaining accurate records for all PAP beneficiaries. Please accept, as always, my highest assurances and esteemed regards.”

Upon hearing the clarification, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Governor Douye Diri, were reportedly shocked as they had relied on the initial letter to file a disqualification suit against the Sylva/MacIver ticket of the APC.

When contacted, Maciver stated that he was aware of the oversight because he was one of the five prominent agitators known as the G5, who led their followers to accept the amnesty offered by the Federal Government in the interest of peace in the region.

MacIver expressed gratitude to Ndiomu for acknowledging the mistake made by PAP and promptly correcting it. He advised the APC family to remain resolute and confident that the Sylva/MacIver ticket is intact and ready to win the election.

Maciver also challenged Diri to prepare for the polls by engaging Sylva in a public debate.

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