Paul Ibe, the Special Adviser on Media to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has publicly challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to disclose the total cost and funding sources behind his recurring live television media chats.
The demand followed Wike’s latest broadcast on Tuesday, which was transmitted live across multiple national television and radio networks.
In a statement posted on his official X handle, Ibe questioned the transparency of the broadcast financing, urging the minister to publish full accounting details, including channel invoices, funding sources, and specific budget line items used to finance the airtime.
According to Ibe, at least eight major broadcast stations carried Tuesday’s two-hour session live, including Channels Television, Arise News, TVC, News Central, AIT, JDK, Aso TV and Radio, and ADBN.
Based on industry estimates of prime-time commercial broadcast rates, Ibe calculated that airtime costs range between N10 million and N20 million per station per hour. A single two-hour session across eight stations, he noted, could cost between N160 million and N320 million, potentially mounting to N1.92 billion to N3.84 billion annually if held on a monthly basis.
“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,” Ibe stated.
Wike’s aide fires back
The spokesperson for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has challenged media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, to explain whether FCT residents had complained about the minister’s frequent media chats.
“Did the people of FCT complain to him? Did they tell him their money is missing?”
Olayinka argued that Ibe should first address questions raised by Wike about funds allegedly collected from the sale of Rivers State’s gas turbine and the reported payment for a hospital project in the Caribbean.
“The minister asked questions where is the $308 million collected from the sale of Rivers State’s gas turbine? Where is the Caribbean White Hospital that he said they paid $39 million dollars?” Olayinka said.
He also questioned the reported payment of $10m for communication relating to Rivers State, insisting that Ibe should urge his principals to respond to the issues raised by Wike.
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