The general impunity in our national life again reared its ugly side with the public spat between Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike and the men of the Nigerian Navy over a disputed property in Abuja.
The incident occurred at Gaduwa before Games Village over land supposedly acquired by Vice Admiral A.Z. GAMBO in 2020.
In September 2025, the Admiral decided to develop his land, and after about a week, the Development Control Council came around and asked for the documents and building approval.
According to the story from the side of the Navy, after two days, they came back and stated that the land had been revoked by the current FCT Minister with no conditions provided.
Then, FCT men came to stop the work and were chased by the military men.
The Minister then decided to visit and possibly enforce the demolition of the structure, but met a brick wall in a young Lieutenant Commander Yerima, who simply fenced him off.
Wike, in his characteristic bullish manner, engaged the young man in brickbats, which eventually saw him calling the Naval officer a fool.
Wike’s corrosive and acidic dispositions and mannerisms will ensure that even when he has a good case, he ends up bungling it.
In this extant case, Wike might just be right because there is so much lawlessness and general impunity, especially among the so-called elite both as civilians and the military, that the only ones left at the brunt of these maddening developments are the ordinary people.
Land, property acquisition and development have been left to the rich and well-heeled and Abuja remains their playground. They allocate lands to themselves and their cronies. Every FCT minister’s priority is allocation and acquisition of land. It’s difficult to think of other things done by FCT ministers other than revocation, demolition and reallocation of land for political patronage.
The reason this particular incident has generated so much public attention is because both parties involved, Wike and Vice Admiral Gambo, are ‘big men’ as we say in local lingo. This is just one of several such cases that occur on a daily basis.
So, given our general proclivity for impunity and recklessness, it just might be that the land in dispute might not have the proper title documents. It might just be that proper documentation and approval were not given before the commencement of work on the site. After all, who in his right senses can dare the military. The Vice Admiral (rtd) can decide to develop his property, knowing that, given his position in Nigeria, nothing will happen.
However, because Wike himself has no regard for processes or procedures, he would always want to bully his way through all situations. Which was exactly what played out.
He has no reason to condescend to the point of exchanging an altercation with someone who is not only young enough to be his son, but also by far his junior in all ramifications.
Wike’s brash mannerism and propensity for conflicts and rudeness are legendary. His abusive and uncouth attitude will only continue to land him in more trouble. His total lack of self-restraint is such that he doesn’t see any wisdom in picking his fights.
As a minister and former governor, he had no business exchanging words with the soldiers who were carrying out an instruction from a superior officer. He only has business with the military authorities and Vice Admiral Gambo, who sent them there.
Sadly, Wike, like all other ministers of FCT, spends all their time chasing lands, and to think that after only two years in office, he is already being accused of appropriating lands to himself and his cronies, makes it impossible to believe that this unnecessary bravado and public spectacles are well-intentioned in public interest. He is still in office and there are already allegations against him, what happens when he eventually leaves office?
As the minister of FCT, it’s difficult to think of any other thing Wike does apart from chasing lands and building roads, sorry, he is also preoccupied with building comfortable homes for judges. If you don’t know why the comfort of judges is his priority, I can’t help you.
The last time one heard anything apart from those mentioned above was when teachers in FCT went on strike and the recent strike by security men working in the hospitals in the FCT.
If a man who is mostly responsible for his party (PDP) being in disarray and has rubbished every single person who has been responsible for making him who he is today, had a genuine case how can he convince the people or win their sympathies when he is right? How can anyone have sympathy for a man who is prepared to visit mayhem in his home state for political expediency? How can anyone trust the sincerity of a man who, at the least provocation, is cursing and swearing only to return to his vomit, even when he is right or has a genuine case? This is the lot of the man called Wike. So even if he is right he will always be wrong in the people’s court.
What remains certain in the whole of this Yerima and Wike face-off is that Wike would have learnt his lessons. He sure would have learnt by now that not all situations and circumstances require the same approach. If he had been doing that to people and getting away with it, he would now employ common sense when faced with similar situations next time.
His reported ban on his staff from recording with their phones while on assignments with him is definitely one of the lessons he has learnt.
But it must go beyond that, he too should come down from his high horse and be prepared to take advice. He should develop respect for due process and procedures. He should spend less time chasing lands and more time on impacting the lives of the majority through building smart schools and good hospitals etc.
This is a very vital lesson for all political office holders because for every Wike there will always be a Yerima lurking out there.
His reported expulsion from the PDP on Saturday was only a matter of time before it happened. No serious party faithful would be declaring the victory of an opposition party that he serves, in an election that is about two years away. That as an anti-party act is unpardonable.
Wike is like the dog in the manger. He is not ready to make the PDP competitive or strong again and yet will not quit the party.
That he used Rivers State resources as governor to sustain the party at a time is not an excuse to continue to support APC candidates against his party.
