Wike Defends Tinubu, Says Presidency Cannot Attend to Everyone Directly
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is unapproachable, insisting that governance is a collective responsibility and not a one-man affair.
Wike, who spoke on Tuesday as a guest on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, argued that it was unrealistic for every Nigerian to expect direct access to the president when ministers and advisers are available to address issues in their respective sectors.
“When you say Mr President is unapproachable, and the government is unapproachable, what do you call government?” Wike queried. “I am the Minister in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Z is a Minister in charge of Interior, Mrs O is a Minister in charge of Trade, Investment and Industry. Must everybody reach Mr President? Is that the way government runs?”
The FCT Minister emphasized that citizens should first engage the ministers or presidential advisers responsible for specific areas of governance, rather than bypassing them to seek the president’s attention.
“If everybody in this country refuses to reach out to ministers or special advisers and just wants to see Mr President, how many people can he attend to at a time? I am a minister, if you have a problem regarding the activities in the FCT, have you tried to reach out to the FCT minister?” he asked.
When pressed on whether the government was indeed approachable, Wike responded firmly: “Of course.”
His remarks come in response to recent criticism by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, who described Tinubu and his administration as “unapproachable.”
Wike’s defense of the president underscores ongoing debates over accessibility, governance style, and public perception of the Tinubu administration.
