Politics

Sowore Is Lucky Tinubu Respects Rule Of Law – Wike

ByTitilope Adako

PublishedSeptember 18, 2025

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, is lucky that President Bola Tinubu respects the rule of law.

Sowore, in an August 25 post on X, wrote, “This criminal @officialpbat actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

Following the post, the Department of State Services filed criminal charges against him for defamation and sought the removal of the tweet from X and Meta, describing it as a threat to national security and public order. Sowore refused, saying the DSS was trying to silence dissent and describing their actions as “despicable.”

Speaking on Thursday at the flag-off of Arterial Road N1 in Wuye, Wike said: “This is a country where somebody on social media will say Mr President is a criminal; nothing will happen. You say all kinds of things you want to say, but nothing will happen.

“No matter how you see people criticise Trump, have you ever seen any American citizen on social media, or in the public, say our President is a criminal? Have you heard that?

“But here, anybody can wake up in the morning and abuse the President, and we are happy. You are lucky you have a President who believes in the rule of law. You are lucky. Continue to be lucky. There are those you will meet that you won’t be lucky again.”

On the indefinite strike by the FCT branch of the Association of Resident Doctors, the minister explained that the 2025 budget, passed in July, earmarked N25bn for healthcare. He stressed that allowances and recruitment of doctors must follow due process, urging the doctors to be patient.

“The SSS called me that people said they will demonstrate, that we are paying attention to roads, we are not paying attention to health. I called the Director, listened, demonstration is allowed everywhere. Nobody will blackmail me, nobody will stop me from doing what I think is right, and do it at the right time.

“The people who now say, look, they are being owed allowances, fine. We lost our Head of Service; we just appointed an acting Head of Service. And I said, okay, go and check, how much are they talking about?

“They said oh, they’ve not employed doctors. I said chairman Civil Service Commission they said they’ve gotten a waiver, fine. What’s my own? Go and employ them. I am not a doctor, I’ve never thought to be a doctor, go ahead and employ them. They say oh, we’re not talking about improving health facilities.

“[In the] 2025 budget, the Capital budget for health alone, we put N25bn. Ask them, when did you get our budget? We got our budget July. We got our budget in July from the National Assembly. So, each time you see people, they won’t ask questions,” Wike said.

He also warned against politicising the FCT Civil Service, saying, “If you want to enter political party A, you’re free to enter political party A and face me when the time comes. Don’t use Civil Service to play politics, no.

“If the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury brings the bill now, that this is what the allowances are, what’s my own? Why would I hold it? They will pay. But know that everything has a procedure.

“But to tell me you will demonstrate, you will block the road, I told the Director of SSS, allow them to demonstrate, but nobody can stop me from holding this occasion today, not one,” he added.

Titilope Adako

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.