The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has refuted claims that he was prevented from entering the Aso Rock Presidential Villa due to alleged drunkenness.
This follows a report by independent journalist Jackson Ude, who, via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, alleged that Wike was barred from the Presidential Villa during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to meet President Bola Tinubu.
Ude claimed that Wike appeared intoxicated while receiving the Indian Prime Minister at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday. The journalist attributed his claims to an unnamed security official at the Presidential Villa.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Wike categorically dismissed the allegations, asserting that he carried out his duties as instructed by President Tinubu.
The statement clarified that the FCT Minister accompanied the Indian Prime Minister from the airport to his hotel on Saturday and subsequently led him to the Presidential Villa on Sunday morning.
The statement read:
“Fact is, the FCT Minister led the Prime Minister to his hotel from the airport, and on Sunday morning, he (Wike) led the Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa, where his duty ended.
“Jackson Ude continues to propagate falsehoods to justify his initial claims. However, given his history of spreading misinformation, we will no longer dignify him with responses.
“For instance, Ude previously alleged that the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, fled Nigeria via Niger Republic, assisted by Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle. Yet, the same Yahaya Bello appeared at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on September 18, 2024.
“Despite evidence contradicting his claims, Ude has shifted to making baseless allegations against other high-profile Nigerians, including the FCT Minister. Now that we’ve released images showing Wike with the Indian Prime Minister on Saturday and Sunday morning at the Presidential Villa, Ude will likely attempt to spin more fabrications. Nonetheless, we remain unperturbed.”
Wike’s office emphasized its commitment to transparency while dismissing the allegations as baseless and unfounded.
