Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, that President Bola Tinubu and his administration are unapproachable.
Speaking on a national television programme yesterday, Wike said Lawal’s remarks stemmed from “bitterness” after failing to secure the vice-presidential slot in 2023.
“Babachir came to my house in Port Harcourt after Kashim Shettima was announced as Tinubu’s running mate. His grievance was clear — he thought Mr. President would choose him. Having not been picked, he let loose. That is the root of his bitterness,” Wike stated.
He argued that governance is a team effort and urged Nigerians to engage ministers and advisers instead of expecting direct access to Tinubu.
“How can a man who once dined with the President call him arrogant simply because he was not chosen? Nigerians must see through that,” Wike added.
On Amaechi: “He Is Too Corrupt to Fight Corruption”
Wike also took a swipe at former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, describing him as lacking moral standing to talk about corruption.
“Amaechi cannot fight corruption because he is himself a very corrupt man. He spent N74 billion on a monorail that never worked, sold our gas turbine worth $380 million, and wasted $30 million on a phantom hospital project,” Wike alleged.
He cited multiple judicial panels that indicted Amaechi, insisting court rulings had affirmed the findings.
“He knows his presidential ambition is dead on arrival. Nigerians know the last person they will give a ticket to,” Wike declared.
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On ADC and Opposition Politics
Dismissing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and claims of a strong opposition coalition, Wike said Nigerians had already rejected them in recent by-elections.
“There’s no coalition. When CPC, ACN, and some PDP members formed the APC, that was a coalition. But what we see now is just politicians moving from one party to another because they have nothing to show,” he said.
