FILE: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
Media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to publish invoices and disclose the funding sources for live broadcasts of his media engagements.
Ibe made the call in a post on X on Tuesday, questioning the cost of a media parley featuring Wike and broadcast by several television and radio outlets.
Ibe estimated that at between ₦10m and ₦20m per station per hour, eight stations broadcasting for two hours could cost between ₦160m and ₦320m per session.
He further calculated that 12 monthly sessions could amount to between ₦1.92bn and ₦3.84bn.
However, the figures were estimates provided by Ibe and were not independently verified.
He said residents of the FCT deserved to know how much was being spent on the broadcasts and how much airtime was devoted to issues affecting the territory.
“There is nothing wrong with a minister explaining his stewardship. But public resources must serve public purposes, not personal political battles,” Ibe wrote.
He questioned the focus of Wike’s media engagements, arguing that they should prioritise infrastructure and public services rather than political disagreements.
“FCT residents deserve to know how much is being spent on these broadcasts and how much airtime is devoted to FCT development, rather than Wike’s political disagreements with Atiku, Amaechi, Obi, ADC and NDC,” he wrote.
Ibe also called on the minister to disclose the details of payments allegedly made for the broadcasts.
“Minister Wike, publish the invoices. Identify the stations paid, the amounts, the funding sources and the relevant budget lines,” he wrote.
He argued that the public had a right to know whether the broadcasts were funded with public money and, if so, the budgetary provisions under which the expenditure was made.
“The FCT treasury is not Wike’s personal political broadcasting account. Public office is not a licence to convert public funds into private political publicity,” Ibe added.
The post followed Wike’s media parley in Abuja, where the minister discussed his administration’s projects and political support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ibe’s post did not provide documentary evidence of the estimated broadcast costs or establish the source of funding for the media engagement.
When contacted, the FCT Minister’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, was unable to provide an immediate response to our correspondent’s enquiry