News

Nyesom Wike’s Unchecked Power: A Looming Crisis for Tinubu’s Administration and a Question Mark on Economic Reforms.

Published by Akinwale Fakinlede on July 23rd, 2025.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, appears to be wielding an unprecedented and seemingly uncheckable degree of political leverage within President Bola Tinubu’s inner circles, as evidenced by his recent actions regarding land allocations. Despite ongoing media scrutiny and a purportedly initiated presidential probe, Wike has reportedly doubled down on controversial land grants to his family members and friends, raising serious questions about accountability, constitutional adherence, and the integrity of the current administration.

The latest revelations from Peoples Gazette detail how, on July 4, 2025, just days after the publication of an investigation into his alleged repurposing of land administration for personal enrichment, Minister Wike convened an urgent meeting with FCTA town planning bureaucrats. During this meeting, he reportedly unfurled a new list of 38 names for expedited land approvals, explicitly stating his intent to “expand his inventory of beneficiaries” in response to media reports about allocations to his children.

Officials present at the meeting were reportedly stunned by Wike’s brazenness, initially dismissing it as a prank. However, their skepticism turned to alarm as the minister began signing rights of occupancy for these allotments days later. On July 16, 2025, even as a presidential probe was reportedly underway, Wike signed 33 approvals for his family and friends. Among the beneficiaries was his 90-year-old father, Joshua Nlemanya Wike, who received a 1,042 square meter plot in Guzape II valued at N400 million. Other recipients included paternal cousins, nephews, and friends, all hailing from his home state of Rivers. These 33 new allocations are in addition to six family members who had already received land in Guzape II in April.

Sources indicate that Wike has frequently bypassed established procedures, giving verbal directives for his cronies to receive land grants without the requisite payment of statutory bills. This pattern of behavior, officials claim, reflects a profound disregard for accountability, with Wike reportedly boasting about his significant role in securing Tinubu’s election and his perceived immunity from legal repercussions. “He even said the president can’t do anything to him, and no judge in 2025 Nigeria would dare convict him of any stupid corruption,” an official disclosed.

Wike, a former political rival, surprised many by endorsing Tinubu’s presidential bid in 2023. Reports suggest he was instrumental in manipulating election results in Rivers State to inflate Tinubu’s tally, an allegation he denies. He has also publicly denied allocating land to his children, despite compelling evidence to the contrary, and has attempted to mischaracterize media reports.

The minister’s unbridled actions are causing considerable distress among other senior administration officials, who acknowledge the complexity of the situation. President Tinubu’s current low approval ratings, reportedly in the 30s amidst economic hardship and insecurity, make his political calculations for the 2027 elections delicate. Aides suggest the president is torn between dismissing Wike to improve public perception and retaining him for his “financial contribution and the capacity to mobilise” during the upcoming election cycle, particularly in light of the newly emerged African Democratic Congress coalition.

This predicament, however, carries significant legal risks for President Tinubu. Wike’s conduct directly violates the Nigerian Constitution, specifically the Fifth Schedule, Part I, which criminalizes the use of public office for personal or family enrichment and prescribes removal and prosecution as punishments. Despite this, a panel purportedly investigating Wike has yet to summon him, three weeks after its existence was first disclosed. Anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and ICPC are reportedly monitoring the situation but, as part of the executive branch, require presidential approval to actively investigate or charge a cabinet official.

The striking paradox of President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda is underscored by these allegations. While the President has consistently championed bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to stabilize the naira, and has spoken extensively about tackling corruption, the unchecked alleged activities of his own FCT Minister present a glaring contradiction. President Tinubu has repeatedly stressed the importance of transparency and accountability for national development, and has called for strengthening anti-corruption agencies. He has also emphasized the need for “ethical renewal” to combat the “culture that celebrates and expects something for nothing or wealth without work.” Yet, the brazen alleged enrichment of individuals and their families with national wealth and resources, right under the nose of the presidency in Abuja, casts a long shadow over the credibility of these pronouncements.

Perhaps even more alarming than the alleged acts of corruption themselves is Minister Wike’s reported audacious declaration of immunity from prosecution. For an ordinary minister to boldly state that “the president can’t do anything to him, and no judge in 2025 Nigeria would dare convict him of any stupid corruption,” stands in stark contrast to President Tinubu’s own public statements on accountability. The President himself has never made such an assertion of unchallengeable power, and yet, a member of his cabinet reportedly feels confident enough to utter such a statement, seemingly with impunity, right under the President’s nose.

For many Nigerians, the question remains: what kind of economic reform is being preached when high-profile corruption appears to flourish with impunity, and when a minister openly boasts about his untouchable status? The perceived inaction against Minister Wike, despite overwhelming evidence and calls for his removal, fundamentally erodes public trust and raises doubts about the sincerity and effectiveness of any economic reforms aiming for a more prosperous and equitable Nigeria. If those entrusted with public office can allegedly engage in such flagrant abuses without being called to book, and even publicly defy the very notion of accountability, it fundamentally undermines the rule of law and the credibility of the entire administration.

As anti-corruption campaigners, such as the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, file petitions calling for investigations into Wike’s “reckless abuse of office,” the FCT minister’s actions continue to challenge the core tenets of good governance and accountability within President Tinubu’s administration, leaving many to wonder how long this unchecked political leverage will endure and what it truly means

for Nigeria’s future.