“You Should Be in Jail for Corruption, Electoral Fraud, Not Lecturing on Morality” – Adeyanju Blasts Wike

Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has launched a blistering attack on Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accusing him of corruption, land grabbing, and betraying political allies. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Adeyanju did not hold back, asserting that Wike “should be in jail for corruption, for stealing, for electoral fraud,” rather than positioning himself as a moral authority.

Adeyanju’s remarks were in response to a press briefing held by Wike on Thursday, where the minister dismissed the activist as a “jobless young man.” Wike recounted an incident from nearly a decade ago when Adeyanju reportedly sought his support to become the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Wike claimed to have refused, stating, “I saw one young man, they call him Adeyanju. He is from Kogi State. This young boy came to me that he wants to be the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, and I said no. I said he won’t be, and he was not. I have no regret about it. He has suddenly become a civil society activist. He has no job, and that’s why he decided to turn to a civil society activist.”

The minister’s comments followed a protest led by Adeyanju on behalf of victims of house demolitions ordered by Wike in the FCT. In response, Adeyanju described Wike as a leader who cannot tolerate criticism and vowed to keep challenging the minister whenever he engages in illegal or unethical practices. “He hates constructive criticism. My only crime is speaking up against his untoward actions,” Adeyanju said.

The activist accused Wike of implementing anti-people policies and engaging in land grabbing, particularly targeting the properties of poor homeowners in the FCT. He alleged that Wike’s administration has been marked by the seizure of land, which is then handed over to his friends. “He has not faulted us on the allegations we raised. Rather, he has said yes, that he is giving the land that he is grabbing from poor people to his friends. But should he give the land to his enemies?” Adeyanju criticized Wike’s justification for these actions, calling it a blatant display of arrogance and disregard for justice.

Adeyanju further accused Wike of living off public resources and lacking any source of income outside government positions. “Wike does not have a second address. His only address is the looting of public resources and public purse. Look at the way he’s grabbing land in the FCT all over the place and giving it to his friends. He’s grabbing even parks, stealing people’s parks, and turning them into residential buildings. And he expects people not to complain,” Adeyanju said. He insisted that all his allegations against Wike are backed by evidence, stating, “There’s nothing I’m saying that I don’t have receipts for.”

The human rights lawyer did not shy away from personal attacks on Wike, mocking his age and appearance. “Wike is just 11 years older than me. Maybe it’s because Wike is looking older than Tinubu and Buhari combined that he now feels he is an old man,” Adeyanju quipped.

He also addressed Wike’s claims about their past political interactions, clarifying that he had sought the support of numerous PDP leaders during his active years in politics. “He allegedly said that I came to him, I begged him to be National Publicity Secretary of the PDP. Everyone knows I resigned from politics eight years ago, and that event he’s talking about happened before I left politics. Since my decision on politics, I have been jailed, I have been harassed, I have been beaten on the street,” Adeyanju said.

Adeyanju dismissed Wike’s assertion that he declined support, stating, “The truth is, he never said to my face that he would not support me. In fact, when I was active in politics, he told me twice that he would support me, and he did support me twice. Assuming without conceding that I even went and begged him, which is false, should he call a press conference and start crying eight years later?”

The activist accused Wike of betraying numerous political allies, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Patience, and former Rivers State governors Peter Odili and Rotimi Amaechi. “The only difference between Wike and Portable (Nigerian musician Habeeb Okikiola) is that Portable does not betray people who help him, but Wike betrays everyone who’s helped him,” Adeyanju alleged. He suggested that Wike’s betrayal extends even to current President Bola Tinubu, whom Wike reportedly treats with caution. “Tinubu knows. He’s just using the long spoon to deal with him. And there’s nothing you do with Wike that is safe.”

Adeyanju also linked Wike to controversial judicial actions during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, including the raids on judges’ homes and the removal of former Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen. “Wike is the reason why they raided the home of judges. You remember now when they raided the home of judges? Wike is one of the reasons allegedly why the former CJN, Walter Onnoghen, was removed from office. He kept going around saying that he had the judiciary in his pocket and was mentioning names,” Adeyanju alleged.

Concluding his remarks, Adeyanju vowed to hold Wike accountable for his actions in the FCT. “He will give accounts,” he declared emphatically. “Whenever you challenge him, he will call you. He does not like to be challenged. He has this god complex. But we will continue to challenge him and expose his bad policies.”