A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, Segun Sowunmi, has accused the Federal Government of mismanaging the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike, following his recent altercation with a naval officer.

Sowunmi, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, said public opinion showed rising concern about Wike’s behaviour in government.

“If you have listening tools, and I expect the government to have, listen to what’s happening on the radio, listen to what’s happening on television, filter the internet, and see the opinion of Nigerians.

“What you are going to find out is that the Federal Government of Bola Tinubu has a Wike problem,” he said.

He described the former Rivers State governor as “energetic, competent, goal-driven, with evidence of performance,” but accused him of being “a mismanaged, excessively irritating and garrulous aide”.

“The amount of invective you put out at people increases their ability for them to, first of all, dislike you, and then by inference begin to dislike your principal,” he said.

The PDP chieftain said the minister mishandled the recent encounter with a naval officer.

He noted that Wike often disrespected senior national figures, adding that the minister’s media style is worsened public frustration.

“In your ‘I’m bigger than everybody, I’m very strong, I’m this and that,’ you put yourself in a situation where a junior ranking officer is now forced to hold the line before you.

“You had a problem in Rivers (State), you were backed. People didn’t like that.

“You seem to have issues with almost all our revered leaders in the country. You are constantly in the media, screaming, shouting, bellowing, jumping, saying it anyhow you like,” he said.

Sowunmi warned that such displays embarrassed the government.

He also shared the advice he once received from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said, “I once asked Chief Obasanjo one day: ‘How do you get the army and the armed forces to behave in a civilian regime?’ He said… ‘the armed forces are well trained.

“They will not take orders from a person whom they see is a little bit not properly or professionally able to give them orders.”

Sowunmi said officials must demonstrate professionalism when dealing with the military.

“At the end of the day… look at the quantity of skits (which went viral from Wike’s altercation with the naval officer)… You can’t run a government like that.

“You cannot be an irritating, garrulous aide of a government. You are serving the citizens of Nigeria. You are serving at the behest of the president. You must control yourself and manage yourself better,” he added.

Clash, Defence

Public debate intensified after a viral video showed Wike confronting a naval officer at a site in Gaduwa, Abuja.

Officials of the FCT administration had attempted to stop an alleged unauthorised construction, but soldiers reportedly blocked the officials from entering the disputed land.

The site was allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.

Wike later arrived and accused the officers of impunity.

Defending his intervention on Thursday, the minister said he acted because officials were assaulted during a lawful assignment and condemned the deployment of soldiers for personal disputes.

“How can I sit as a minister when government officials are being attacked and beaten up… and I’ll just sit in my office doing what? You have no document. We cannot continue to act in impunity,” he said.

Wike said the FCTA had no record of legal allocation for the land, noting that retired officers must follow due process. (Channels TV)