President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he once warned Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, that he could lose his job over a request he made.
Speaking on Sunday during a Sallah homage led by Wike and FCT residents at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu disclosed that Wike had asked for an exemption from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enable him to carry out his duties more effectively.
However, the president said he made it clear to Wike that if granting the request would benefit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) more than the All Progressives Congress (APC) and weaken his chances in future elections, Wike should be prepared to lose his position.
“He (Wike) came up with a lot of good ideas. I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please take us out of this problem of TSA so I can do more work and achieve more.’
“I said, ‘Show me what you are about to do,’ and he presented his plans. Then I threw in my own political jibe by asking, ‘Would this give me an advantage for my party to win elections in the FCT? I know where you are coming from—your party or my party—but if this works too much in your favor, you will lose your job.’
“He said, ‘We will settle that, Oga,’” Tinubu recounted.
According to Naija News, Wike is a member of the PDP but openly opposed his party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election. Despite this, President Tinubu, who ran on the APC platform, appointed him as FCT Minister.
