Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has vehemently denied allegations of illicit land allocation to his children, characterizing the circulating reports as a baseless smear campaign orchestrated by political adversaries. Wike, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the accusations as another failed attempt at blackmail, asserting that such tactics would not deter his commitment to the developmental agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope initiative for the FCT. The minister’s spokesperson emphasized that the allegations lack any credible evidence and are designed to distract from the ongoing progress within the FCT.
The allegations, which surfaced initially through online platforms, claim that Wike allocated extensive tracts of land in prime districts like Maitama and Asokoro to his son through a company known as Joaq Farms and Estates Limited. Subsequent reports extended these accusations to encompass another of the minister’s sons, purportedly benefiting from land allocations through a different entity, Jordan Farms and Estates Limited. Olayinka categorically refuted both claims, underscoring that no land has been allocated to any of the minister’s children. He stressed that while the minister’s children, like any other Nigerian citizen, have the constitutional right to own property anywhere in the country, including the FCT, provided they adhere to legal requirements, no such allocations have occurred.
Olayinka detailed that the initial allegations concerning the 2,082 hectares of land were based on a misrepresentation of a legitimate land allocation for agricultural purposes in the Bwari Area Council to Joaq Farms. He clarified that the allocation was properly documented and followed due process, and there is no evidence linking the company to any of the minister’s children. Regarding Jordan Farms and Estates Limited, Olayinka confirmed that the company indeed received a land allocation but emphasized that it is a legally registered entity with no affiliation to the minister’s children. He challenged those perpetuating the allegations to provide concrete proof of ownership linking the company to Wike’s family.
To further debunk the accusations, Olayinka highlighted the flawed logic behind connecting the company’s name, Jordan Farms, to one of the minister’s sons who shares the same first name. He drew an analogy to his own name, Lere, and the existence of a Lere Local Government in Kaduna State, highlighting the absurdity of assuming ownership based solely on name similarity. He further extended the analogy to other companies with similar names, both within Nigeria and internationally, questioning whether they too were owned by Wike’s son. This argument aimed to expose the baseless nature of the allegations and the deliberate attempt to create a misleading narrative.
Olayinka attributed the persistent attacks to political motivations, specifically singling out a critic from Adamawa State whom he accused of harboring a vendetta against Wike due to the minister’s support for power rotation between the northern and southern regions of Nigeria. He asserted that this politically motivated smear campaign is designed to undermine the minister’s work in the FCT and discredit his commitment to President Tinubu’s agenda. Olayinka expressed confidence that these attempts would ultimately fail, reiterating the minister’s unwavering dedication to the development of the FCT.
In summary, Minister Wike and his spokesperson have robustly denied all allegations of land allocation impropriety, framing the accusations as a politically motivated smear campaign. They have challenged the accusers to produce concrete evidence linking the mentioned companies to the minister’s children and have emphasized the legality of both land allocations. The minister’s office maintains that these attacks are a distraction from the ongoing developmental initiatives within the FCT and are ultimately aimed at undermining Wike’s political standing and his commitment to the Renewed Hope agenda. They remain resolute in pursuing the FCT’s development and dismiss the allegations as unfounded and malicious.
