Wike noted that the journalist who levelled the allegation once made false claims against ex-Kogi Gov, Yaya Bello and Defence Minister, Bello Matawalle
By Kehinde Okeowo
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has dismissed a claim that he was recently blocked from entering the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
He was reacting to reports that a freelance journalist, Jackson Ude, in a post he shared on his verified X page, alleged that he was barred from Aso Rock when the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visited President Bola Tinubu.
According to Ude, an anonymous security officer in the presidential villa told him that the former Rivers State governor was denied access because he was drunk when he received the Indian Prime Minister at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday.
Reacting to the claim, Wike, in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, denied the report and insisted that the FCT Minister received the Indian Prime Minister as directed by President Tinubu.
He added that contrary to Ude’s assertion, Wike was on Sunday morning “at the hotel to perform his duty of leading the visiting Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa.”
He further noted that the journalist is a habitual liar, adding that he made similar false claims against ex-Kogi State Governor, Yaya Bello and the Minister of Defence, Bello
Matawalle.
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Olayinka said, “Fact is, the FCT Minister led the Prime Minister to his hotel, from the Airport and it was from the hotel that he (Wike) led the Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa on Sunday morning, where his duty ended.
“Up till now, Jackson Ude is still spinning lies to defend his initial lies. But for us who know his antecedents, we will not dignify him henceforth.
“After all, this same Jackson Ude said in many tweets that the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, had fled Nigeria, through Niger Republic. He even accused the Minister of State of Defense, Bello Matawalle of helping Yahaya Bello to escape to Niger Republic.
“However, the same Yahaya Bello that Jackson Ude said had fled Nigeria showed up at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on September 18, 2024.
“How the same man Jackson Ude claimed ‘Matawalle mobilized eight military personnel to escort to Niger Republic via Kebbi State, through the border town of lllela, in two dark-tinted Hilux pickups and a Land Cruiser’ was at the EFCC office on September 18, he (Ude) has not explained.
“Rather, he has jumped to peddling other lies against high-profile Nigerians, the latest being the FCT Minister. As usual, now that we have released pictures of the FCT Minister in his hotel with the Indian Prime Minister on Saturday and on Sunday morning at the Presidential Villa, Jackson Ude, will try to spin more lies to defend his initial lies. But like I have said, we won’t be bothered.”
