Wike’s team denied claims of a rift with Tinubu, but video evidence suggests he tacitly participated in the Council of State meeting through a representative.
The camp of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has denied reports that he boycotted Thursday’s Council of State meeting in protest of President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
SaharaReporters had claimed that Wike opposed Amupitan’s nomination, preferring Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, and allegedly skipped the meeting while delegating Minister of State Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure to attend.
However, Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the report, writing on Facebook: “Shameless Sowore does not even know that the FCT Minister is not a member of the Council of State. Or how do you boycott meeting of an organization you don’t belong to?”
But video footage obtained by SaharaReporters appears to contradict this, showing Wike instructing Bunkure to leave a road project flag-off to attend the meeting on his behalf.