June 03, (THEWILL) – Nigerian media personality and journalist, Reuben Abati, has slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, describing him as “rude and disrespectful”.
Abati, a former media spokesperson to former President, Goodluck Jonathan, was reacting to Monday’s media chat by Wike, where he referred to former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, as a politician who is hungry for power.
“Now that they are out of power, they say they are hungry. It’s not hunger for food. It’s hunger for power”, Wike said on Monday morning.
While anchoring a TV programme on Arise TV on Tuesday morning, Abati described Wike as a rude politician, noting that Amaechi is Wike’s boss in the field of politics.
“I think that Nyesom Wike is very rude and disrespectful because Rotimi Amaechi is his boss in politics. When he was local government chairman or was it councillor during Amaechi’s second term, it was Rotimi Amaechi that helped him to become local government chairman.”
Abati recounted a time when Wike knocked an elder statesman, Peter Odili, stating that he (Odili) did not qualify to be an elder.
“There is no time he has not insulted Peter Odili. He even referred to him as one man and his wife as one woman.”
Abati advised President Bola Tinubu to be wary of Wike because he could insult him in the future just as he has done with Amaechi and others.
“Who will Nyesom Wike not insult? He insulted Senator John Mbata, who was his godfather at some point. He also showed signs that he will insult President Bola Tinubu. He pointed out that if he had known that President Tinubu would declare a state of emergency in Rivers, he would have offered a different kind of advice.
“That is already a signal to Tinubu that this man you are dealing with is only interested in his own permanent interests, not permanent friends. President Tinubu should beware because tomorrow he will also abuse this same President Tinubu.”
In a related development, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has accused Wike of political betrayal, opportunism, and contributing to the erosion of Nigeria’s democratic values.
Eze said Wike’s alignment with the Bola Tinubu-led federal government, despite publicly claiming influence over election outcomes in Rivers State, amounted to “shamelessness” and a betrayal of democratic ideals.
“The burden of morality, blackmail, betrayal, and backstabbing is slowly but steadily drying Wike up. He is a man torn between parties, a political chameleon who betrayed the PDP and now pretends to be an asset to the APC”, he said.
According to Eze, Wike’s role in the 2023 elections has left a deep scar on Nigeria’s democratic institutions, accusing him of aiding electoral fraud and seeking to benefit politically without legitimacy.
“Wike has dug his political grave. His antics will not protect him when APC bigwigs cut his ego”, he added.
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