Nigerians React As Wike Is Dragged Before US Government
- Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the FCT, has reportedly been dragged before the Attorney General of the State of Florida in the United States
- Omoyele Sowore, the AAC's 2023 presidential candidate, had petitioned the attorney over an alleged illegal property Wike owns in Florida
- However, the announcement by Sowore's lawyer about the minister on social media has attracted condemnations from social media users
Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, has petitioned the Attorney General of the State of Florida, alleging that Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, illegally owns some properties in the US state.
Deji Adeyanju, the legal counsel to the former Nigerian presidential candidate, shared the petition on social media, saying that Wike, who was the immediate past governor of Rivers State, had acquired the property through the proceeds of corruption.
Source: Twitter
According to Adeyanju, Sowore is asking the state's attorney general to take three actions against the Nigerian minister. This included the identification of the property, prosecution of those involved and the imposition of a visa ban on Wike.
The legal practitioner explained that the move was part of Sowore's decision to ensure accountability of those in government and fight against corruption in the country, saying, 'This reflects our client’s commitment to accountability and the fight against corruption'.
Nigerians react to Sowore's petition against Wike
However, the tweet by Sowore's legal counsel has started generating mixed reactions from some Nigerians. Below are some of their reactions:
Muns Brown said he cannot take the former presidential candidate seriously:
"@YeleSowore, I was almost going to be taking you serious until I found this. Deji Adeyanju is the lawyer you're using against Wike? Come on...where is your brain? That aside..no one actually falls for you yoruba supremacist sociopaths and your political antics anymore."
FCB W maintained that the petition was watery:
"The same way Chimamanda wrote to Biden not to recognize Tinubu as the President of Nigeria. Keep us updated."
Source: Twitter
Osiri Sesegus also condemned the petition:
"We are not Dundee United o! This presentation from you just made this whole case scenario a caricature . Not you on this level."
CitizenOlu also positioned that the petition is not genuine:
"Do you practise law in America? A lawyer in Nigeria petitioning a foreign country, abeg na joke or skit!"
Horlatunde alleged that Adeyanju knew that the petition would not be acknowledged:
"You know your audience sha. Cause this is monsense that won't be acknowledged, and you know it. But anything for clout deji."
See the petition here:
Analyst weighs in on Wike scandal
A political analyst, Dr. Toks Oguntuga, has described the petition filed by Omoyele Sowore against Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike as a “clarion call for genuine accountability.”
Dr. Oguntuga, who told Legit.ng while reacting to the controversy, noted that Wike had, “in his characteristic bravado, addressed the swirling allegations during his recent appearance on Politics Today at Channels Television.”
According to him, Wike defended himself by insisting that “the contentious property was acquired as far back as 2007 and rightfully belongs to his wife, further maintaining that its ownership was transferred to her by her own parents.”
He said the development has now become “a duel of narratives; Sowore’s accusation arrayed against Wike’s rebuttal.”
The analyst, however, cautioned against hasty conclusions:
“When one considers SaharaReporters’ notorious penchant for sensationalism and the ignoble proclivity of the average Nigerian politician towards corruption, prudence dictates that we adopt a posture of watchful patience to see how far this petition can travel.”
On the difference in jurisdiction, he noted:
“Providentially, the petition was lodged not before a Nigerian anti-corruption agency where the political class is often adept at wriggling free from the jaws of justice, but before the State of Florida in the United States.”
Dr. Oguntuga concluded by stressing the need to wait and see the outcome of the case:
“Hence, my stance remains: let us tarry and see what unfolds.”
Wike tackles Sowore over attack on Tinubu
Legit.ng earlier reported that FCT Minister Wike had blasted the AAC's 2023 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, following his recent comment about President Bola Tinubu.
The politician, in a tweet on August 25, described the Nigerian leader as a criminal, alleging that Tinubu, during his visit to Brazil, claimed that there was no corruption in Nigeria.
The Department of State Services has since filed a criminal suit against the former presidential candidate, alleging he had breached the Cybercrimes and Terrorism Prevention laws.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a political analyst for this report.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
