Wike didn’t flee from protesting workers — Aide

An aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied claims that the minister ran away from protesting workers in Abuja on Monday. The aide said the minister only changed his route after protesters blocked the main entrance of the secretariat.

Speaking on Arise TV on Tuesday, Lere Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of the minister, said videos shared online gave a false impression that Wike fled during the protest over unpaid salaries and welfare concerns.

He said, “The minister was not running away from anything. The entrance of the secretariat was barricaded by the protesters, and instead of instructing security to clear them, he chose to use a different exit from the Ministry of Agriculture so that he could make his way to the airport, where he was supposed to see the president off.”

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The clarification followed events in Abuja on Monday, when workers on an indefinite strike were seen chasing a motorcade believed to be carrying the FCT minister.

Videos that later surfaced on social media showed the protesters chanting and highlighting their long-standing demands as they followed the vehicle through parts of the city.

Earlier on Monday, the workers, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), staged a protest at the National Industrial Court in the Federal Capital Territory. They called for the minister’s removal and demanded payment of their outstanding entitlements.

During the protest, the workers carried placards with messages such as “Wike must go!”, “Abuja no be Rivers”, “Pay promotion arrears”, “Enough is Enough”, and “No working tools.”

The workers said they embarked on the strike due to unresolved welfare issues, including five months of unpaid salaries, promotion arrears, and poor working conditions.