According to Nivo News, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has cautioned that Nigeria is sliding into a troubling era in which public hostility toward government officials is increasingly shaped by personal dislike, selective outrage, and mob-driven sentiment rather than objective reasoning and the rule of law.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, Kachikwu reacted to the public uproar surrounding the recent confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a military officer. He argued that the controversy revealed a deeper national intolerance and a growing tendency to justify unlawful behaviour simply because the target is an unpopular public figure. He insisted that the anger directed at the Minister was not based on facts but on what he described as an “unrighteous, righteous indignation” against Wike.

Kachikwu called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately intervene, warning that the heightened emotions surrounding the incident, coupled with the conduct of some senior government officials, threatened the stability of democratic governance. He expressed concern that some presidential aides, including the Minister of Defence, appeared to have openly taken sides against their colleague without applying caution or proper context.

He noted that if he were in Wike’s position and the Presidency failed to clarify its stance, he would have resigned rather than endure such ambiguity. He urged the military hierarchy to fully investigate the incident and discipline the officer involved, arguing that the officer acted on the instructions of a retired general outside the command structure of the Armed Forces, thereby undermining the authority of the FCT’s chief security officer.

While acknowledging that the Minister should not have used strong personal language during the confrontation, Kachikwu stressed that the broader issue was the growing willingness of the public to endorse illegal conduct simply due to their dislike for certain figures in government. He warned that such attitudes posed a danger to institutional order.

Recounting a past encounter of his own with the FCT Administration, Kachikwu narrated how a construction site of his was once penalised after security guards denied a senior FCTA official access on a Sunday. The situation triggered a stop-work order and a visit from the Minister, which initially caused concern among his workers. However, he said the matter was resolved once he produced the required documentation, after which the Minister apologised for acting on incorrect information. He said both that incident and the current controversy exemplified how a vocal minority could manipulate public opinion.

Kachikwu warned that many Nigerians were ignoring the fact that the military officer in the recent confrontation allegedly verbally assaulted police officers. He added that the same people criticising Wike remained silent about the killing of policemen returning from election duty in Anambra State, highlighting what he viewed as selective empathy and double standards among both citizens and senior government officials.

He stressed that undermining constitutional authority could embolden abuses of power and fuel the normalization of military interference in civilian governance. He emphasized the need for clarity on the boundaries between military and civilian authority in a democracy. According to Nivo News, he cautioned that allowing personal bias to shape public reactions could invite grave consequences in the future.

Kachikwu welcomed the fact that prominent voices such as Femi Falana and Olisa Agbakoba had spoken up on the matter. He criticised ministers who publicly supported what he described as illegality despite witnessing their colleague being embarrassed while performing official duties. He added that if he were in Wike’s position and received no communication from the Presidency while being undermined by colleagues and military officers, he would resign rather than tolerate such disrespect.

He urged President Tinubu to address the situation without delay, stressing that all officials—military and civilian—must be guided by the Constitution, which he described as the supreme authority in a democratic setting. While faulting Wike for using harsh words, he maintained that military codes could not supersede constitutional provisions, as members of the Armed Forces derive their powers from the same Constitution they are expected to uphold.