The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has strongly denied claims that he was barred from the Aso Rock Presidential Villa during the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The allegations were made by independent journalist Jackson Ude, who took to his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle to make the controversial claim. According to Ude, Wike was reportedly intoxicated when he greeted Prime Minister Modi at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Saturday, and was subsequently prevented from entering the Presidential Villa.
Ude’s post, citing an anonymous security officer at the Presidential Villa, suggested that Wike’s behavior was inappropriate and led to him being barred from attending the important events with the Indian Prime Minister. However, these claims were swiftly countered by Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, who issued a statement on behalf of the FCT Minister, calling the accusations false and misleading.
In his official response, Olayinka emphasized that Wike was indeed performing his duties as directed by President Bola Tinubu. He clarified that Wike had successfully fulfilled his responsibility by welcoming Prime Minister Modi and escorting him from the airport to his hotel. On Sunday morning, Olayinka further stated, Wike accompanied the Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa, where his duties were completed.
“Fact is, the FCT Minister led the Prime Minister to his hotel from the airport, and it was from the hotel that he (Wike) led the Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa on Sunday morning, where his duty ended,” the statement read. Olayinka dismissed Ude’s accusations as false and noted that Wike’s participation in the events was fully in line with the instructions from President Tinubu.
Olayinka also took the opportunity to highlight Ude’s history of spreading misinformation, citing a previous false claim made by the journalist about the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. According to Ude, Bello had allegedly fled the country through Niger Republic with the help of Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defense. However, this claim was debunked when Bello was seen at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on September 18, 2024, after Ude had spread the story.
The statement went on to accuse Ude of being a habitual purveyor of false information, pointing out that his claims about the flight of Yahaya Bello and his alleged role in aiding the escape were proven to be completely fabricated. “How the same man Jackson Ude claimed ‘Matawalle mobilized eight military personnel to escort to Niger Republic via Kebbi State’ was at the EFCC office on September 18, he (Ude) has not explained,” Olayinka said.
Olayinka further stated that despite the clear evidence and photos showing Wike with Prime Minister Modi at the hotel and the Presidential Villa, Ude would likely continue to spin further lies to defend his initial baseless allegations. He warned that the Ministry would not dignify Ude’s misleading reports with further responses.
The statement concluded with a sharp critique of Ude’s credibility. “But for us who know his antecedents, we will not dignify him henceforth,” Olayinka stated, making it clear that the FCT Ministry would no longer engage with the journalist’s accusations. The response from Wike’s team further reiterated that Wike’s role during the visit was both appropriate and in line with his official duties as a key member of the federal government.
With the matter now addressed by the FCT Ministry, it remains to be seen whether Ude will retract his claims or continue to defend his report. For now, the FCT Minister’s office has made it clear that they stand by their version of the events surrounding Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Nigeria.
