The Nigeria at 65 celebration turns out a day of woes and lamentations due to the escalation of the alleged greed and thievery habits of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for which the country becomes a ridicule and laughing stock among the global community
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
The celebration of Nigeria’s Independence Day on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 would have made the citizens proud if corrupt acts allegedly perpetrated by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had not compelled the Federal Government to drop any idea of celebration, Tentacle reliably gathered. The October 1 Independence Day celebration was significant in the history of the country because it was a day the country marked the 65th birthday since its independence in 1960.
Unfortunately, the fraud and corruption allegations leveled against Wike from various local and international quarters did put a question mark on the desirability of any celebration this year. More frustrating was the recent revelation by the activist Omoyele Sowore to the effect that Wike illicitly and fraudulently acquired several mansions in faraway United States of America for his wife and children worth over six millions of dollars which he allegedly paid in stolen cash.
Since the revelation, Wike has feigned deaf and dumb to the allegations which are unsettling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government, because many opinion-leading voices have been insisting that Wike’s continued presence in the cabinet amid the established fraud cases had cast a slur on the nation, exposing it as a country of corrupt leadership. Many of them bluntly submitted that the once famed “giant of Africa” has been reduced to a “giant of fraudsters”.
In the recent times, Wike has been alleged to be in the league of the country’s most corrupt public office holders. Some alleged that his thievery and kleptomaniac dispositions had started since he was a Local Government Chairman in his home state of Rivers. These claimed that his only known occupation has remained politics, thus how he became stupendously wealthy remains a puzzle to them.
So, since the story of his scandalous acquisitions in USA broke out, numerous commentators both home and abroad have taken the presidency to the cleaners, with calls for the sack of Wike. Credible presidency sources hinted that Wike’s alleged thievery habits, as well as his illicit property acquisitions in USA and Nigeria have raised global concerns for which Nigeria’s political leadership is viewed by the global community as being infested by rogues. Consequently, the source whispered, President Tinubu was advised against putting up celebration of any kind to commemorate the Independence Day so as to avoid making jest of the country.
Prior to the Independence Day last Wednesday, numerous voices had expressed angst that Wike’s alleged corrupt practices was ruining Nigeria’s image on the global stage. For example, a controversial clergyman, Pastor Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, popularly known as Odumeje, has launched a scathing attack on Nigerian leaders, declaring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a true leader but merely a businessman.
Speaking during a sermon at his church, Odumeje questioned the credibility of Nigeria’s leadership, insisting that true presidents are those who genuinely develop their countries for the benefit of their citizens, not as in Nigeria where the presidential lifestyle showcases opulence and ostentation in the midst of hardship across the country.
“I don’t know who’s calling Tinubu president. Tinubu is just a businessman. If you want to talk about a president, call Trump, Ibrahim Traoré, Xi Jinping, and many others, they are all true leaders,” Odumeje quipped.
The outspoken preacher lamented that Nigeria has failed its people due to selfish governance, accusing political leaders of amassing wealth for their children instead of building a nation that would serve citizens.
Odumeje added, “Leaders are people who develop their country so that their children and citizens can benefit, but the ones we have in Nigeria are busy acquiring wealth for their own children. Nigeria is a giant of failure, not a Giant of Africa.”
Frank Tietie, a lawyer and social commentator writing on “Why Wike Should Resign or Be Sacked: A Call to Organized Civil Society in Nigeria to Uphold Anti-corruption Standards with Consistency” stressed that “The revelations by Nigerian social crusader, investigative journalist, and activist Omoyele Sowore regarding the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, are serious and warrant the attention of all Nigerians who care about the integrity of the country. Sowore has alleged that Wike laundered funds and concealed the purchase of real estate in Florida, USA, worth over six million dollars in the name of his wife and children.
“While Sowore deserves commendation for his consistent bravery, his legal team must follow proper procedures in presenting their evidence against Wike to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Given the cross-border nature of the alleged crimes of money laundering and concealment of criminal proceeds, it may not be appropriate for a regional entity to handle the matter, especially since it involves treaty law.
“Sowore’s legal team should, as a first step, activate the provisions of the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act of 2019. This would compel the Nigerian Attorney General to request the United States Attorney General to initiate an investigation into the allegations against Wike, assuming that he would refuse to cooperate for political reasons.
While adding that Wike has acknowledged the ownership of the Florida properties by his wife, Her Lordship, Hon Justice Suzzette Wike, and their children, Tietie called on the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to promptly investigate and inform the public whether Wike declared these US-based properties in his mandatory asset declaration form, which requires him to declare property owned by himself, his spouse, and children under 18 years old.
Writing further, Tietie said, “If it is determined that Wike and/or his wife did not declare these assets as required by Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal Act, the case must be referred to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). At that point, Wike should either resign or be dismissed by the President, and his wife, a respected Justice of the Court of Appeal, should be suspended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) pending the determination of the issues by the CCT.
“The allegations surrounding Wike’s Florida properties, as exposed by Sowore, have put the present and future state of the fight against corruption in Nigeria on trial, which is currently hanging in the balance.”
Adding his voice to the call for Wike’s sack from Tinubu’s cabinet on account of allegations of corrupt enrichment, a rormer Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Minister over allegations of acquiring properties in the United States under suspicious circumstances.
Frank, who currently serves as Ambassador of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to East Africa and the Middle East, made the call in a statement last week in Abuja.
He said Tinubu must break his silence on the matter and demonstrate consistency in the fight against corruption, recalling how the President swiftly suspended former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, over corruption allegations that were “far less serious” than those confronting Wike.
Frank described Tinubu’s silence on the matter despite “overwhelming evidence” in the public domain as troubling, adding that it sends a dangerous message that some officials are untouchable.
He said, “With detailed reports from credible sources such as People’s Gazette and with glaring evidence ignored by anti-corruption agencies like EFCC and ICPC, it sends a dangerous message that some officials are untouchable.”
He further warned that the impunity of government officials like Wike weakens citizens’ trust in governance and could fuel uprisings similar to the recent Nepal revolt.
Frank further accused Tinubu of shielding Wike for political reasons ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that such selective justice would damage Nigeria’s global reputation and erode investor confidence.
According to him, “The reasons behind this continued inaction in the case of Wike appears to be tied to the political calculations surrounding the 2027 presidential elections.
“However, allowing political ambition to shield corruption will irreparably harm Nigeria’s reputation internationally.
“The world is watching, and this selective justice undermines investor confidence and portrays Nigeria as a nation unable or unwilling to fight corruption—even within its highest offices.
“Furthermore, even when crisis erupted in Rivers State, President Tinubu suspended only Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the House of Assembly members while leaving the Minister of FCT, Wike, untouched.
“This inconsistency fuels suspicions of favoritism and political shielding. Nigerians and the international community deserve to know why the President appears reluctant to confront alleged corruption linked to a close political ally.
“Selective enforcement of the law erodes national pride and makes Nigeria a laughing stock among peer nations, many of whom prosecute corruption allegations without hesitation.
“The President should protect the dignity of Nigeria and the trust of its citizens by rejecting selective justice and political expediency. The integrity of Nigeria’s governance and its image on the global stage depend on it,” he added.
Speaking on the Wike saga, a public affairs analyst, Prince Francis Chilaka, has condemned what he described as a troubling pattern among Nigerian politicians of moving wealth overseas while citizens face economic hardship.
While speaking on Voice of the People TV about the legal action initiated by activist Sowore regarding Wike’s Florida mansion acquisitions, Chilaka expressed frustration with recurring behaviors among political leaders.
Speaking at the interview, Chilaka said, “Unfortunately, Nigerians are not learning. The political class is not learning, when I say they’re not learning, they keep enriching foreign nations while inflicting pains, poverty and hunger on their own people. You loot from here, you send it abroad.
“Don’t forget that most times these funds are not even sent in their names. They’re sent through proxies. A few weeks back, we also heard about land grabbing in Abuja that involved the same man with his family.”
