Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged the self-acclaimed Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, to stop avoiding scrutiny and provide evidence to support the allegations he made against the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Speaking during a media chat monitored in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said individuals occupying strategic positions around the Presidency, particularly the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and officials responsible for government finances, are often targets of politically motivated blackmail aimed at discrediting an administration.
The minister maintained that if Adeyemi’s allegations were genuine, he should make himself available to security agencies and confront the matter openly instead of going into hiding.
“If it was indeed correct, eyeball to eyeball, go to the security. He cannot say this,” Wike said.
He added that investigators could easily determine the truth by examining available records, including communication logs between Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi.
According to him, the Chief of Staff’s phone records and other relevant communications were available for scrutiny if there was a genuine basis for the allegations.
Wike also recounted what he described as a similar blackmail attempt directed at him through members of his family.
He alleged that some individuals falsely accused his son of facilitating a payment connected to government land transactions, an allegation he dismissed as completely fabricated and intended to tarnish his image as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the minister, his Chief Security Officer immediately initiated steps to have the accuser arrested after the claims surfaced.
He explained that the timeline presented by the accuser was inconsistent with his son’s travel records, insisting that the allegations collapsed once the facts were examined.
Wike disclosed that some individuals later approached him and suggested that the matter should be quietly resolved.
He, however, rejected the proposal, insisting that false allegations should not be negotiated or settled privately.
“Why not settle? Settle what? This is blackmail. I would not allow that. I wouldn’t do it,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor criticised attempts to treat serious allegations against public officials as political issues to be managed rather than criminal matters requiring proper investigation.
He also dismissed claims that Adeyemi had gone into hiding because his life was under threat.
“Which life? Is your life bigger than the lives of other people in the country?” Wike asked.
The minister argued that anyone making allegations of corruption or abuse of office against senior government officials should be prepared to defend those claims before the appropriate authorities.
He maintained that allegations alone should not become the basis for removing public office holders without due investigation.
According to Wike, security agencies should be allowed to thoroughly investigate the matter, determine the facts and take appropriate action based on available evidence rather than speculation or media campaigns.
He stressed that allowing unverified allegations to dominate public discourse without investigation would undermine public institutions and encourage blackmail against government officials.
