President Tinubu Reveals Why He Once Threatened To Sack Wike As FCT Minister

President Tinubu has revealed why he once threatened to sack Wike as FCT Minister.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that he once jokingly threatened to sack the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over political considerations.

 

Tinubu made this known on Sunday afternoon while hosting Wike and other senior government officials during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

Speaking on Wike’s contributions, the President praised him for his innovative ideas in handling FCT affairs but recalled a moment when he questioned the political implications of one of the minister’s proposals.

 

ALSO: APC Chieftain, Rotimi Amaechi Slams Tinubu Over Emergency Rule In Rivers State

 

Tinubu revealed that Wike had approached him with a request to exempt the FCT from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy to allow for more financial flexibility in executing projects.

 

The TSA is a financial system introduced by the Nigerian government to centralize all public funds under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), ensuring accountability and preventing revenue leakages.

 

“He came up with a lot of good ideas. I remember the day he came to me and said, please, take us out of this problem of TSA so that I can do more work and achieve more. I said, OK, show me what you’re about to do. And he presented himself,” Tinubu said.

 

The President, however, admitted throwing in a political angle to the discussion.

“I said, will that give me any opportunity for my party to win election in that case? I said, I know where you are coming from, your own party, or my party. But if this thing goes too much in your own favor, you will lose your job. He said, okay, we will settle that, okay,” Tinubu added.

 

Watch video below:

 

https://x.com/NTANewsNow/status/1906372357825995173?t=G5R1UvkpHrDbTlDLjiwngQ&s=19

 

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and chieftain of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), joined Tinubu’s cabinet in 2023, stirring political conversations about his alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).