Wike vs Officer: 'He Represents the President,' Jonathan's Ex-Minister Wades into Brawl Controversy

• Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation, has said Nyesom Wike should apologise to the military officer he clashed with in Abuja over a disputed land
• On November 11, a viral video showed the FCT minister being stopped by military personnel from accessing the site, sparking a heated argument with an officer
• Reacting to the development via a statement, Chidoka pointed out that the minister’s approach undermined the principles of institutional authority

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - Osita Chidoka has criticised Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), over a face-off with military personnel over a disputed land.

Legit.ng reports that on Tuesday, November 11, videos surfaced online showing Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), in a heated argument with military personnel at a site in Abuja, the Nigerian capital city.

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In a statement shared on his Facebook page, seen by Legit.ng, Chidoka, who was Nigeria's minister of aviation during the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, asserted that "any law enforcement officer, in uniform or plain clothes, represents the president and the sovereignty of the Nigerian state."

He berated Wike, a strong ally of President Bola Tinubu, for hurling verbal abuse at Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, saying such an act 'diminishes the authority of the Republic itself.'

Chidoka wrote:

"Any law enforcement officer, in uniform or plain clothes, represents the President and the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. To abuse such an officer is to diminish the authority of the Republic itself.

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"Minister Nyesom Wike’s decision to personally enforce a directive at a disputed site was a fundamental misstep. In constitutional democracies, power operates through institutions not impulse.

"Executive authority must be exercised or adjudicated through the courts, ministries, and lawful instruments of state, never through confrontation. No matter how justified a grievance, a minister cannot become an enforcer; that violates the very idea of ordered government."

Furthermore, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member noted that in a democracy, ministers "act through process, not presence", adding that a formal communication to the minister of defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, whose office oversees the Nigerian Armed Forces, would have sufficed.

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He continued:

"When a minister trades words with a uniformed officer acting under orders, lawful or otherwise, it corrodes discipline and confuses hierarchy.

"The officer’s duty is to obey the chain of command, not verbal instructions on a roadside; the minister’s duty is to act through lawful channels."

'Wike's behaviour unacceptable' - Chidoka

Asking the minister to apologise to the officer for using abusive language, the 54-year-old also faulted the conduct of the Department of State Services (DSS) officers assigned to Wike.

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He said:

"The conduct of the DSS protective details was equally unprofessional. Their responsibility was to extract their principal from a rancorous and potentially dangerous situation, not to escalate it.

"Security officers must remember that their loyalty is to the state, not to personalities."

Legit.ng reports that Wike, known for his combative approach to governance, has repeatedly vowed to restore order in Abuja’s urban planning, insisting that government lands and public spaces must be protected from “powerful interests and lawless developers.” However, the minister has also faced criticism over allegations of allocating prime land to close associates and family members, claims he has consistently denied.

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"I'm not a fool, sir": Viral video shows soldier's heated exchange with FCT minister Wike

Read more on Nyesom Wike:

• Wike speaks on Goodluck Jonathan's 2027 presidential ambition, washes hands off PDP chairmanship saga
• Wike reacts to alleged rift with Tinubu over new INEC chairman nomination

Tinubu urged to sack Wike

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Atiku Movement (TAM) vehemently condemned what it called the outrageous and delusional statements of Wike.

TAM tackled Wike, saying the minister claimed credit for roads and water projects "as if they were funded by his personal piggy bank."

Source: Legit.ng