CHIDOKA URGES WIKE TO APOLOGISE TO NAVAL OFFICER OVER ABUJA CONFRONTATION
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Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to publicly apologise to the military officer he verbally confronted during a recent land dispute in Abuja.
The incident, which occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over the ownership of a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Wike, who visited the site alongside senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop what he described as an “illegal construction,” was captured in a viral video berating a naval officer said to be supervising the property.
In the footage, the minister is heard saying, “You are in uniform, and you’re telling me the Navy owns this land? Who gave you the right to build without approval? Even if you are the Chief of Naval Staff, the law must be respected.”
The unnamed officer reportedly responded that the property belonged to a former service chief and that the military had authorisation to secure it.
Reacting to the incident in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Chidoka faulted Wike’s conduct, describing it as an affront to the authority of the Nigerian state and a breach of democratic decorum.
“Every security or law enforcement officer, whether in uniform or plain clothes, represents the authority of the President and the Nigerian state. To insult such an officer is to erode the authority of the Republic,” he stated.
The former minister said public officials must exercise authority through institutional channels rather than personal confrontation, noting that governance in a democracy rests on the rule of law and due process, not “street-level engagements” by ministers.
He added that a public altercation with security personnel outside the official chain of command weakens discipline and undermines institutional integrity.
“An officer’s duty is to follow orders from superiors, not to respond to roadside instructions. A minister’s duty, on the other hand, is to act through lawful and administrative procedures,” Chidoka noted.
He also criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) operatives attached to Wike, arguing that their role should have been to de-escalate the situation rather than heighten the tension.
“Security operatives must always remember that their allegiance is to the state, not to individuals,” he said.
Chidoka described the confrontation as a lesson in leadership, insisting that the incident diminished the dignity of the ministerial office and the image of responsible governance.
He concluded by urging Wike to offer a public apology to the officer involved, calling the minister’s behaviour “unacceptable and unbecoming of a public official.”
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