Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson and anchor on Arise Television, for describing Wike as “rude.”
Olayinka’s comments came in response to Abati’s defence of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, during a recent broadcast. Abati had said Wike was disrespectful to Amaechi, who he claimed played a pivotal role in the early stages of Wike’s political career.
According to Abati:“Wike is very rude and disrespectful because Amaechi is his boss in politics. When he was local government chairman during Amaechi’s second term, it was Amaechi who helped him to become LGA Chairman and subsequently become Chief of Staff and recommended him to become Minister of State for Education in Abuja.”
Reacting during the same Arise TV programme, Olayinka accused Abati of hypocrisy and personal animosity against Wike.
He claimed that Abati once sought Wike’s assistance during an encounter with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and alleged that Abati had to “beg” the Minister for help.
“It’s obvious that he hates Wike, he said here that Wike is rude. When he had issues with EFCC and had to pay back the money he got from Dasuki loot, he and his wife knew the road to Wike’s house, to beg for a bailout which he got, but Wike was not rude then,” Olayinka stated.
He also criticised Abati for allegedly aligning politically in the past with controversial figures, while continuing to posture as a moral authority.
“Abati has always come to this station to present himself as a moral police to postulate and he will not one day tell us that at a moment in his life, he was a politician, a member of the PDP and was the party’s deputy governorship candidate in Ogun State and was comfortable having his picture displayed with somebody who was wanted by the American government for alleged drug trafficking,” he said.
“He was comfortable on the podium with somebody wanted by the American government for alleged drug trafficking. That is the person that will come here and pronounce with his mouth that a former governor and Minister that he once ran to for help is a rude person, he is a bully,” he added.
Condemning Abati’s remarks, Olayinka said it was unbecoming of a former editorial chairman of The Guardian to use what he described as “unprinted words” on air.
“Abati used unprinted words that the Minister is rude, words I was not expecting from somebody who has functioned as the editorial chairman of the Guardian newspaper. For somebody like that to come to the studio and start saying that a Minister is rude in defense of Amaechi is unacceptable,” he said.
He further challenged Abati’s impartiality as a journalist.
“In journalism, we are not supposed to have an opinion, I was shocked to hear him turning himself to the spokesperson of Amaechi. I want to suggest that since he’s now Amaechi’s spokesman, he should excuse himself from Arise TV and go do his job properly, he should not be using the platform provided by respected Nigerians like the Duke to ventilate his anger, frustration, and hatred for Wike,” Olayinka concluded.
