The dramatic altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and a military officer during an enforcement exercise in Abuja on Tuesday sparked widely spread reactions across the country.
According to previous reports, a video clip that has gone viral on the Internet shows the Minister arguing angrily with some soldiers about access to a property inside the zone.
The conflict started when Wike and representatives of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) tried to access a contested piece of land that was purportedly connected to Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd), the former Chief of Naval Staff.
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In the video, Wike was seen exhanging words and angrily throwing insults at the uniformed troops stationed at the location, claiming that the developers did not have building approval or legitimate ownership. The minister became obviously enraged when one of the soldiers disobeyed his orders, yelling:
“Shut up! Keep quiet! You are a fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school… You send soldiers to intimidate who? We are all from this country… If not for the CDS who spoke to me now, you would have to kill everybody here.”
Wike reacts
In a statement following the event, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike denounced what he called an unlawful seizure of a disputed piece of property in Abuja by military forces purportedly acting on orders from a previous Chief of Naval Staff.
APC chieftain calls for officer’s dismissal
In response to the altercation, Joe Igbokwe, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), demanded that the soldier who spoke with Wike face disciplinary punishment.
Igbokwe was furious over the altercation and demanded that the soldier’s uniform “be removed” for what he called an act of disobedience in a Facebook post.
“Who is this man in uniform? Of what meat is he fed? Who is beating the drum for him? This is unacceptable. His uniform has to be removed,” Igbokwe wrote.
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Wike overstepped his bounds – Ex-Aviation Minister Chidoka
On his part, the Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, however, took a contrasting perpsective, faulting Wike’s approach and accusing him of overstepping his authority.
In a statement titled “Minister Wike: Power, Process, and the Rule of Law”, Chidoka said the FCT Minister’s decision to personally enforce a directive was “a fundamental misstep.”
“Any law enforcement officer, in uniform or plain clothes, represents the President and the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. To abuse such an officer is to diminish the authority of the Republic itself,” Chidoka said.
He stressed that ministers are expected to act through established institutions, not personal impulse.
Military veterans slam Wike, demand apology
Similarly, a group of Nigerian military veterans, however, also denounced the minister’s outburst and accused him of demeaning public institutions and insulting a uniformed officer.
The Coalition of Military Veterans argued that Wike’s remarks were inappropriate for a public figure in a statement released by its spokesperson, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts.
“How can a minister call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” Durowaiye-Herberts asked. “If he was responsible, he should have engaged the Chief of Naval Staff privately rather than attempting to disgrace a retired senior officer.”
The group strongly condemned any effort to punish the soldier involved, threatening protests if such action was taken.
“If for any reason the officer is punished, military veterans will occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister,” the spokesperson warned.
“Military officers swear loyalty to the nation, not to individual public officials,” the statement read. “Wike’s action demeans the dignity of the minister’s office. He should apologise for using abusive language. It is not acceptable behaviour,” they added.
Not all orders are meant to be obeyed- Wike’s Aide
Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Advisor on Publicity and Communication to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, has thrown a strong defence for his principal adding that not all directives from superiors should be followed.
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In an interview with Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily,” , Olayinka made this claim on Wednesday.
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