“You Failed Jonathan”: Wike’s Aide Fires Back at Reuben Abati Over “Kneeling” Criticism

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing verbal attack on veteran journalist and Arise TV host Reuben Abati.

The exchange follows Abati’s recent criticism of Olayinka, whom he accused of extreme sycophancy after a video surfaced of the aide reportedly kneeling to serve his principal.

During Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Abati mocked the gesture, comparing it to the “crawling” behavior he witnessed among officials during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Abati remarked that while sycophancy has long been a tradition in Nigerian politics, there should be a “time limit” to such displays of subservience, noting that Olayinka “understands the game more than some of us.”

In a fierce rebuttal posted to Facebook, Olayinka dismissed Abati’s comments, attributing former President Jonathan’s 2015 electoral loss to Abati’s alleged incompetence as his Media Adviser. Olayinka argued that if Abati had been as “fixated” on protecting Jonathan from bad press as he is now with Wike, the former president’s public image would not have suffered so severely.

The exchange turned personal as Olayinka also leveled allegations of greed against the TV anchor. He claimed that Abati’s supposed lack of transparency with his subordinates during his time in the Presidency led to a personal scandal involving a “concubine” and millions of naira meant for office grants.

Olayinka concluded by mocking Abati’s continued focus on him, ironically thanking the journalist for making him a “topic” on national television.