Tensions between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have reportedly deepened following the appointment of Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to insider reports, Wike angered by the President’s decision to reject his preferred candidate boycotted the recent Council of State meeting, delegating the Minister of State for the FCT to attend in his stead.
Sources also alleged that Wike privately urged some former Nigerian Heads of State to stay away from the meeting, an action interpreted as a sign of protest and an attempt to register his displeasure with the administration.
The widening rift marks a dramatic shift in Wike’s political fortunes. Once considered a key ally of President Tinubu, the former Rivers State governor’s influence has reportedly diminished since allegations surfaced linking him to undisclosed property in Florida, USA claims made public by activist Omoyele Sowore.
Before the revelations, Wike had returned from a medical trip to the United Kingdom, where he was said to have been treated for a heart-related ailment. Upon his return, he reignited his political feud with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his former protégé-turned-rival.
However, his outburst against Sowore after the activist labeled President Tinubu “a criminal” on social media further strained his standing. Wike’s warning that Sowore was “lucky the President believes in the rule of law” reportedly provoked the activist to publish more evidence of Wike’s alleged hidden assets.
The controversy triggered unease within the Presidency, with some advisers reportedly questioning Wike’s reliability and temperament for sensitive government roles.
Inside sources revealed that Wike had lobbied strongly for Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman of the Court of Appeal to be appointed INEC Chairman and had secured preliminary clearances for him. But following growing doubts among top aides, President Tinubu dropped Liman’s name and instead appointed Prof. Joash Amupitan, a legal scholar from the University of Jos.
Tinubu is said to have told close confidants that Wike had become “too unpredictable and politically combustible” to influence such a sensitive appointment.
In the aftermath, the President reportedly directed Wike to tone down his frequent press briefings, claiming his combative public remarks were damaging to the administration’s image. An infuriated Wike allegedly appealed to Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, warning that silencing him would “embolden Sowore.”
Amid this growing tension, sources within the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) disclosed that Wike sought to amend his asset declaration forms to include the properties mentioned in the Florida exposé but was told that the original documents had already been forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The move left the minister politically exposed and reportedly unsettled, culminating in his decision to boycott the Council of State meeting.
Presidency insiders claim that the INEC appointment was not originally listed on the meeting’s agenda, and that President Tinubu unexpectedly asked Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo to present Amupitan’s name for confirmation catching attendees off guard and effectively sealing the appointment.
Political observers believe the episode signals a new stage in the fractured alliance between Tinubu and Wike. What once appeared to be a pragmatic partnership built on mutual political advantage has now degenerated into a quiet power struggle defined by mistrust, defiance, and competing interests.
