Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), recently talked about a time when he met rights activist Deji Adeyanju. He said that Adeyanju started criticizing him after Wike turned down his request to be the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Wike said that Adeyanju had asked him to support him for the job of PDP spokesman, but Wike had turned down the request. According to Wike, Adeyanju has been attacking him and his administration ever since. He is using activism to get attention now that he has failed in his political goals. Based on what Wike said, it sounds like Adeyanju became a vocal critic of the government after missing the chance to get a party post.
In an interview with the media in Abuja, Wike talked more about Adeyanju’s recent criticism, especially the claim that Wike’s government had been focusing only on developing the central parts of the city and ignoring the areas on the outskirts. Wike denied these claims, saying that they were not only false but also hurtful to the reputation of his government. He showed proof, like videos and pictures, that the FCT was developing and that the government was trying to improve infrastructure all over the area, not just in the city center.
The fight with Adeyanju got worse after illegal buildings were torn down in the Ruga neighborhood, which is near the Metro line in Wuye District. Adeyanju, who led a protest against the action, said that Wike’s government was wrong to tear down the building because it made life hard for the people who lived there. But Wike was adamant. He stressed that the FCT government would keep up the clearance operations, saying that illegal buildings were a big problem for safety and urban growth. He also said the criticism was part of Adeyanju’s larger political and personal plan because he was angry that he couldn’t get the PDP post.
During the same press conference, Wike promised that the current demolitions would go ahead even if there were protests or public outrage. He said that he was going to do everything he could to protect the rule of law and good town planning. He made it clear that campaigners and other people who wanted to keep things the same would not be allowed to get in the way of his government’s work in any way.
After Wike’s comments, Adeyanju reacted on Facebook by saying that he would not talk about the issue again until Friday. He didn’t name Wike directly, but instead used sarcastic comments and bad language. His silence, on the other hand, didn’t seem to bother Wike, who kept defending his stance on the FCT’s demolitions and building plans.
Wike’s government has been under a lot of pressure to tear down illegal settlements, but he is still sticking to his plan, saying that earlier governments didn’t do enough to deal with the problem. He said that the Ruga settlement had been torn down more than once, but squatters always came back, so the problem kept happening. Wike stressed that this problem had to be fixed in order for the FCT to grow in a planned way.
After people in the community asked for kindness, Wike told Abba Garu, the spokesman for the Ruga settlement, to choose four people to meet with FCT officials to talk about how to help those affected in a more humane way. Wike’s behavior shows that he is strong on the need for the demolitions, but he is also willing to find ways to make things easier for the people who live there, especially those who may have to move because of the clearances.
The actions and words shown here show that there is still friction between Wike’s government and activists like Adeyanju who don’t agree with the administration’s policies on urban development. But Wike’s straight-forward method shows that he is sure that the FCT needs to stay safe, even if it means political fallout. Though Adeyanju and other activists are still speaking out against Wike’s policies, the governor is not giving up, even though there is a lot of resistance.
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