Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday criticised what he called a deliberate misinterpretation of his confrontation with naval personnel led by Lt. A.M. Yerima earlier in the week.
Speaking at his residence in Life Camp, Wike dismissed comments by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), who had accused him of endangering national security and undermining President Bola Tinubu.
The minister said Buratai’s position was unfounded and insisted that the retired general had no moral authority to lecture him on proper conduct.
Wike also rejected Buratai’s call for him to apologise to Lt. Yerima over the clash that occurred in Abuja’s Gaduwa District, stressing that the officer acted improperly during the disagreement.
He further criticised Yerima for enforcing what he described as an unlawful directive regarding a contentious plot linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo. According to Wike, the land in question was illegally acquired, and the FCT Administration was right to take action.
The minister maintained that the naval officer’s conduct violated established regulations and underscored the need for all security operatives to respect civil authority and the rule of law.
Wike said, “I read what one former Chief of Army Staff wrote. He cannot tell me of decency, and he can’t teach me. This was the same man who (allegedly) directed his GOC to rig election, my election in 2019. He couldn’t rig me. He lost.
“He told his GOC to kill me, and I could not be killed. He became an agent in APC primaries to one of APC’s presidential aspirants. Look at the rank of a polling agent. He is the one commenting that the minister did this and that. I have never seen people like this.
“I have no regrets for my political opponents. I will continue to make them have sleepless nights. Whether you are in PDP, whether you are in APC, whether you are in ADC, it is not my business.
He warned everyone, regardless of position, to respect the rule of law always.
