Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has denied he was drunk on the day he went to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to receive the Indian Prime Minister to Nigeria.
An independent investigative Journalist, Jackson Ude, had alleged that Wike was drunk, and so intoxicated when he received Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the airport. Flowing from that, Ude claimed that Wike was subsequently barred from entering the Villa for the Indian PM’s reception and discussions between the two leaders – Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu and India’s Modi.
Ude said he got his information from a reliable, but anonymous, Security officer attached to the Presidential Villa.
Many people had wondered why Wike was conspicuously absent at the Villa during the Indian PM’s visit. The Minister withdrew after receiving the PM and escorting him from his Hotel to the Villa Sunday morning.
But in response, Wike has denied all the above. He said he was neither drunk nor intoxicated when he received Modi at the Airport. And he also denied that he was barred from entering the Villa over his alleged drunk state as he was the one who escorted Modi to the Villa on Sunday.
Wike who responded through his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, said he stuck to the roles given to him by the President to play, and withdrew thereafter.
The statement signed by Olayinka reads in part:
“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.
“Up till now, Jackson Ude is still spinning lies to defend his initial lies. But for us who know his antecedents, we will not dignify him henceforth.
“After all, this same Jackson Ude said in many tweets that the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, had fled Nigeria, through Niger Republic. He even accused the Minister of State of Defense, Bello Matawalle of helping Yahaya Bello to escape to Niger Republic.
“However, the same Yahaya Bello that Jackson Ude said had fled Nigeria showed up at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on September 18, 2024.
“How the same man Jackson Ude claimed ‘Matawalle mobilized eight military personnel to escort to Niger Republic via Kebbi State, through the border town of lllela, in two dark-tinted Hilux pickups and a Land Cruiser’ was at the EFCC office on September 18, he (Ude) has not explained.
“Rather, he has jumped to peddling other lies against high-profile Nigerians, the latest being the FCT Minister.
“As usual, now that we have released pictures of the FCT Minister in his hotel with the Indian Prime Minister on Saturday and on Sunday morning at the Presidential Villa, Jackson Ude, will try to spin more lies to defend his initial lies. But like I have said, we won’t be bothered.”
On a number of occasions, rumours had made the rounds with allegations that Wike has a thing or two going for him with alcohol, an allegation he has consistently denied and dismissed as tissue of lies.
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