Akande to Wike: Answer All Allegations, Your Political Future Depends On It

Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has advised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to provide clear and complete answers to corruption allegations linked to him if he intends to sustain his political relevance in Nigeria. Speaking on the My Take segment of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on […]

Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has advised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to provide clear and complete answers to corruption allegations linked to him if he intends to sustain his political relevance in Nigeria.

Speaking on the My Take segment of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels TV on Sunday, Akande stressed that Nigerian politics is gradually evolving into a space where leaders can no longer afford “moral ambiguity” in the face of corruption allegations.

Akande recalled recent revelations published by activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, alleging that real estate purchases in the United States were connected to Wike.

The minister, however, has defended himself, insisting the assets in question belong to his wife and children, purchased through inheritance.

But Akande pointed out that as a lawyer and public officer, Wike should be aware of his obligations under Nigerian law.

“Now clearly, Mr. Nyesom Wike has said that it is about his wife and his children, and that the proceeds for which the real estate purchases were made came out of the inheritance for his wife and his children. And he has said publicly that what is his business about the financial assets of his wife and his children? Now I would be surprised if Mr. Nyesom Wike, himself being a lawyer, doesn’t know that the Nigerian laws require him to declare his own assets and those of his wife and his children.”

Akande noted that the key issue is whether the FCT minister had properly declared the assets of his wife and children either during his tenure as governor or now as a minister.

“That’s the question that Mr. Nyesom Wike needs to answer, and he needs to answer every other question around these allegations that Omoyele Sowore, the activist, has put on the table. Mr. Nyesom Wike needs to understand that he has to answer those questions clearly, and he has to answer those questions completely.”

He cautioned that the Nigerian public, which he described as the “Court of Public Opinion,” expects full transparency from leaders in positions of public trust.

“Being a public official appointed into a position of public trust, Mr. Nyesom Wike, you need to answer all the questions and the allegations of corruption against you clearly and completely. The Nigeria that we are building is not going to tolerate any kind of moral ambiguity on the part of our political elites like it has been in the past.”

Akande warned that Wike’s political future depends on how he addresses these concerns.

“That is the way that you can rid yourself from what is clearly a set of allegations, a series of corruption allegations. If you want to have a future in Nigeria’s politics, answer those questions clearly and completely.”