The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vehemently denied reports claiming he was barred from the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. The allegations were initially made by independent journalist Jackson Ude, who, in a post on his verified X account, suggested that Wike was prohibited from attending the Villa during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Ude’s post claimed that Wike was intoxicated when he greeted the Indian Prime Minister at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Saturday. According to Ude, an anonymous security officer from the presidential villa had shared this information with him.
In response, Wike issued a statement through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, refuting these claims. The statement emphasized that Wike had carried out his duties as instructed by President Bola Tinubu, which included welcoming the Indian Prime Minister and escorting him to his hotel. The FCT Minister’s responsibilities continued the next day when he escorted the Prime Minister from the hotel to the Presidential Villa, where his duty concluded.
Olayinka further criticized Ude for spreading falsehoods, pointing out that despite the journalist’s attempt to maintain his narrative, Wike had been performing his duties as expected. Olayinka also took the opportunity to discredit Ude by recalling past instances where Ude had spread misinformation, such as his false claims about the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, allegedly fleeing Nigeria through Niger Republic with the help of the Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle. Ude had also falsely asserted that military personnel escorted Bello across the border in tinted vehicles. However, contrary to Ude’s assertions, Bello was seen at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja in September 2024, rendering Ude’s claims baseless.
The statement concluded by acknowledging that, despite the release of evidence showing Wike’s legitimate interactions with the Indian Prime Minister, Ude would likely continue to fabricate stories. Nonetheless, the Minister’s team stated that they would no longer dignify Ude’s actions with responses.
