Group Defends Wike amid Accusation Tinubu’s Minister Allocated Hectares Worth $3Bn to Son in Abuja

Group Defends Wike amid Accusation Tinubu’s Minister Allocated Hectares Worth $3Bn to Son in Abuja

  • The Centre for Democratic Integrity and Leadership (CDIL) has defended FCT minister Nyesom Wike and hailed him for his outstanding performance in the nation's capital
  • The group described the reports suggesting that Wike allocated hectares of land to his children as "baseless accusations"
  • In a statement, CDIL highlighted Wike’s achievements and explained why some actors in the elements are against the FCT's minister's top job in Bola Tinubu's administration

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Centre for Democratic Integrity and Leadership (CDIL) has hailed the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike's performance, clearing him of any wrongdoing in the administration of land in Abuja.

Group reacts as Wike says no land allocated to his children in FCT
The Centre for Democratic Integrity and Leadership (CDIL) has backed FCT minister Nyesom Wike after he insisted no land had been allocated to his children in FCT. Photo credit: CDIL
Source: UGC

The CSO's statement comes in response to a recent media campaign alleging that Wike corruptly allocated thousands of hectares of land to his son, Joaquin Wike.

According to CDIL, the allegations are "politically charged" and "highly irresponsible," lacking in both context and credibility.

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Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, July 1, Kelvin Kuhwa noted that Wike has shown "extraordinary leadership and administrative rigor" since assuming office, transforming the FCT's infrastructure and land administration.

He highlighted Wike's achievements, including the renovation of the International Conference Centre, delivery of intra-city rail and bus terminals, and the resurfacing of internal roads.

Wike breaks silence on allocation of land to son, group reacts
CDIL emphasised that there is no legal barrier preventing the allocation of land to a legitimate company, linked to Wike’s son. Photo credit: Nyesom Ezenwo Wike - CON, GSSRS
Source: Facebook

The group also emphasised that land administration has been brought under fresh scrutiny, with dormant allocations and illegal land grabs being revoked and reallocated to those who would utilise the land productively.

Regarding the allegations against Wike, CDIL added that there is no prohibition against allocating land to a legitimate company based on who its directors may be, and that the proper processes were followed in the allocation of land to Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, a company associated with Wike's son.

Recall that Wike's camp said the claim that the former Rivers state governor allocated vast hectares of land to one of his sons is a fabrication.

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In a statement on Thursday, June 26, obtained by Legit.ng, Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications and social media to Wike, described the accusation as "another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT minister."

The CSO believes that the smear campaign against Wike is driven by entrenched interests who have lost access to the FCT's former regime of favouritism and are fighting back against the minister's reforms.

Kuhwa said the Minister's outstanding performance is already being perceived as a threat to persons who are President Bola Tinubu's administration.

The statement added:

"Since his assumption of office, Mr. Wike has shown extraordinary leadership and administrative rigor. From neglected roads and infrastructure decay to bureaucratic indifference and fiscal leakage, the FCT was a textbook example of government dysfunction. But under Wike’s stewardship, the nation’s capital has witnessed a rapid, visible and measurable reversal of these trends.

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"He has revived the long-abandoned renovation of the International Conference Centre, now renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Conference Centre, and turned it into a world-class diplomatic hub. For years, the ICC stood in embarrassing decline, yet within months, it was not only fully rehabilitated but re-equipped to host high-level international summits with renewed prestige. This alone is a legacy-defining achievement.

It is within this same reformist framework that land administration has been brought under fresh scrutiny. Prior to Mr. Wike’s appointment, dormant allocations and illegal land grabs were rampant across Abuja. In line with his vow to sanitise the system, the Minister began revoking undeveloped allocations and reallocating them—legally—to those who would utilise the land productively.

"That some allocations were made to corporate entities — such as Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd — is neither criminal nor irregular. Joaq Farms is a registered business. Under existing legislation, there is no prohibition against allocating land to a legitimate company based on who its directors may be — so long as the proper processes are followed, which, by all available evidence, they were."

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CDIL urged Nigerians to reject toxic reporting and stands firmly with Wike, citing his record of rebuilding the capital and enforcing development standards.

Read more on Nyesom Wike:

VeryDarkMan tackles Wike in Abuja

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that prominent social media personality, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest in Abuja.

VDM and several children protested at the entrance of Wike's office.

The protest follows Wike’s announcement of plans to withhold 10 percent of the FCT internally-generated revenue (IGR) statutory allocated to the area councils over the non-payment of minimum wage to primary school teachers in the territory.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.

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