The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria, Nyesom Wike, has publicly criticized lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, following Adeyanju’s disapproval of recent demolition exercises in Abuja.
Adeyanju, along with Vincent Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and other activists, recently led a protest condemning Wike’s actions, specifically targeting the demolition of Ruga, a settlement along Airport Road.
During the protest, Adeyanju asserted that “there is no justification for this demolition,” calling on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the matter. Protesters held placards urging Tinubu to dismiss Wike from his ministerial position.
In response, Wike dismissed Adeyanju’s criticism, labeling him as “jobless” and claiming he sought attention through the protest. The FCT Minister further revealed that Adeyanju had previously approached him, seeking a position as the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a request Wike says he rejected.
“I saw one young man, they call him Adeyanju. He is from Kogi State,” Wike said in an interview. “This young boy came to me that he wants to be the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and I said no. I said he won’t be, and he was not. I have no regret about it.”
Wike added, “He has suddenly become a civil society activist. He has no job and that’s why he decided to turn to a civil society activist.”
This public exchange marks the latest in a series of tensions surrounding Wike’s controversial demolition policies in Abuja and has added fuel to the ongoing debate over urban renewal strategies in the capital city.
