Military veterans urged President Tinubu to act after Nyesom Wike’s confrontation with a naval officer.
They criticized his behavior and warned they may protest if the government fails to respond.
Retired members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under the Coalition of Concerned Military Veterans, have called on President Bola Tinubu to remove or redeploy the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following his recent confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja. The group made this demand during a press conference in Kaduna that brought together retired generals and senior officers from the Army, Air Force and Navy.
The disagreement between Wike and Naval Officer Yarima followed a dispute over a piece of land that was being secured by armed military personnel on the instruction of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo, retired. Wike had accused the former naval chief of taking the land without approval. A video of the confrontation, which showed the minister visibly upset as he challenged the officer, has continued to draw strong reactions.
The coalition warned that if President Tinubu does not take action, it will mobilize its members and occupy the Federal Capital Territory ministry until Wike is removed. At the press conference, the veterans described the minister’s behavior as embarrassing, unacceptable and disrespectful to the Armed Forces and the President, who is the Commander in Chief.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Col. Yusuf Ibrahim, retired, said the video in which Wike reportedly called a naval officer “a fool” was deeply troubling and not befitting of the office he holds. Another member of the coalition, Dr Awwal Abdullahi, who introduced himself as a Deputy Veteran Commander, said the minister had shown repeated hostility toward military personnel.
The veterans praised the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs for the calm and professional way they handled the situation.
