Chidoka has blasted Wike and demanded an apology to Military Officer over verbal abuse incident.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former Minister of Aviation and governance expert, Osita Chidoka, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his recent altercation with a military officer in Abuja, calling the incident a serious breach of administrative decorum.
In a strongly worded statement on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Chidoka said Wike’s conduct was “a fundamental misstep” that undermines institutional authority, stressing that ministers must exercise power through due process, not personal confrontation.
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“Any officer, in uniform or plain clothes, represents the President and the sovereignty of Nigeria. To abuse such an officer is to diminish the authority of the Republic itself,” Chidoka stated.
He faulted Wike’s decision to personally intervene at the disputed Gaduwa District site instead of acting through the appropriate channels, arguing that in a democracy, executive power flows through institutions, courts, and formal instruments.
“In a democracy, ministers act through process, not presence,” Chidoka said.
“A simple communication to the Minister of Defence, who oversees the Armed Forces, would have sufficed. If the officers acted illegally, existing disciplinary structures could have handled it.”
Chidoka also warned that engaging in a shouting match with a uniformed officer undermines discipline and confuses the chain of command, noting that “an officer’s duty is to obey orders from superiors, not verbal instructions issued on the roadside.”
He further criticised the conduct of Wike’s DSS security detail, saying their job was to de-escalate tension and ensure the minister’s safety, not inflame the situation.
“Security officers must remember that their loyalty is to the state, not to personalities,” he cautioned.
Describing the confrontation as a cautionary tale for public officials, Chidoka said the episode diminished the dignity of the ministerial office and projected an image of disorderly governance.
He concluded by demanding that Wike apologise to the officer for his behaviour, stressing that “such conduct is unacceptable in a government that claims to uphold the rule of law.”
