Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed criticism by the presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi, insisting that it is the responsibility of state governors, not President Bola Tinubu, to initiate contact whenever a major security incident occurs in their states.
Wike made the remarks during a media parley on Thursday, July 9, while responding to Obi’s claim that President Tinubu had failed to call Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde more than 50 days after the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
Obi had revealed that during a July 3 meeting with Makinde, the governor told him the President had yet to reach out over the incident. Obi described the alleged silence as evidence of a failure in leadership.
Responding, Wike said he does not attach much importance to Obi’s comments, accusing the former Anambra governor of turning every issue into a political one.
“I don’t know how I will value any statement made by Obi. He has not shown himself to be a man of consistency. Everything for him is politics,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor argued that the appropriate protocol is for governors to brief the President whenever crises erupt in their states.
“I am not in a position to confirm, but if the President did not call Seyi, did Seyi call the President to say this is what has happened in my state?” he asked.
“If he called him and they spoke, what is the problem?
“If something happens in my state now, it is for me to call Mr President first and say, ‘This is the problem.’ That is how it is done. You cannot turn it the other way round. You are the chief security officer of that area. If something happens, it is for you to put a call through to Mr President and say, ‘This is what has just happened in my state.’“
