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The office of Nyesom Wike, Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to allegations circulated by U.S.-based commentator Jackson Ude.
Ude had claimed that Wike was barred from the Presidential Villa after allegedly being intoxicated when he welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
In a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communication and New Media, Wike’s office denied the allegations, calling them fabricated and “another attempt by Jackson Ude to mislead the public.”
According to Olayinka, Wike had officially received Prime Minister Modi at the airport on Saturday as instructed by the President, escorting the visiting leader to his hotel.
The following morning, the minister returned to the hotel to lead Modi to the Presidential Villa, fulfilling his official duties.
The statement also criticized Ude for allegedly spreading misinformation on various occasions.
Olayinka referenced previous claims by Ude, such as an allegation that former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello had fled Nigeria—a claim that was refuted when Bello appeared at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Abuja in mid-September.
Photographs accompanying the FCT Minister’s response reportedly show Wike with Prime Minister Modi at both the hotel and Presidential Villa, countering Ude’s assertions.
Olayinka indicated that Wike’s office does not intend to respond to further “false narratives” from Ude on this or other matters.