The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has strongly rebuked Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), over his controversial remarks about President Bola Tinubu. Sowore, in a tweet on August 25, accused President Tinubu of being a “criminal,” citing a video where Tinubu had stated there was no corruption in Nigeria during a visit to Brazil.
Sowore’s tweet sparked an immediate response from the Department of State Services (DSS), which filed criminal charges against him for defamation. The DSS also accused him of breaching Nigeria’s Cybercrimes and Terrorism Prevention laws and requested that social media platforms X and Meta remove the tweet, calling it a national security threat.
However, Sowore stood his ground, refusing to delete the tweet, and accused the DSS of attempting to suppress free speech. He labelled the actions of the DSS as “despicable,” further fueling tensions.
During the launch of the Arterial Road N1 construction project in Wuye on Thursday, Wike fired back at Sowore, saying the activist was “lucky” to have a president who believed in the rule of law. He noted that in other countries, such insults against the president would not go unpunished.
Wike stated, “This is a country where somebody on social media will say Mr President is a criminal; nothing will happen. You say all kinds of things, but nothing will happen. No matter how people criticize Trump, have you ever seen an American citizen on social media or in public say their President is a criminal? Have you heard that? But here, anybody can wake up in the morning and abuse the President, and we are happy. You are lucky you have a President who believes in the rule of law.”
Wike continued, “You are lucky. Continue to be lucky. There are those you will meet that you won’t be lucky again.”
On the ongoing strike by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Wike clarified that the FCT administration had allocated N25bn in the 2025 budget to address the health sector’s challenges. He emphasized that while payment of allowances and the employment of doctors would be addressed, procedures must be followed, urging the doctors to be patient.
Addressing the concerns raised by demonstrators, Wike explained, “The SSS called me that people said they will demonstrate, that we are paying attention to roads, but not health. I called the Director, listened, and said demonstration is allowed everywhere. Nobody will blackmail me. I will do what I think is right, at the right time.”
Wike also condemned the use of the FCT Civil Service for political gains, stating, “If you want to join political party A, you are free to, but don’t use the Civil Service to play politics. When the time comes, we will face each other. Don’t hide behind the service.”
This exchange highlights growing political tensions as Wike and Sowore’s public clash continues to unfold.
In related news, Wike urged the public to remain patient and await the fulfillment of the administration’s promises. He added, “The permanent secretary will bring the bill; we will pay. But everything has to follow the right procedure.”
