Open Message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the Arrogant and Unacceptable Conduct of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike – Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo

By Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)

Mr. President,

With due respect to your esteemed office and the mandate given to you by the Nigerian people, it has become necessary, indeed urgent, to draw your attention to the growing concerns surrounding the public conduct, utterances, and governing style of the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.

Public office is a sacred trust. It is not a throne for arrogance, intimidation, or personal aggrandisement. It is a platform for service, humility, restraint, and respect for the rule of law. Sadly, the consistent public behaviour of the FCT Minister reflects the very opposite of these ideals and sends a dangerous signal about governance in our democracy.

The Federal Capital Territory is not a personal estate, nor is it a battlefield for political bravado. It is the seat of Nigeria’s unity, a symbol of our collective identity, and home to millions of Nigerians from all walks of life. Any minister entrusted with its administration must act with maturity, emotional intelligence, and a deep sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, what Nigerians have repeatedly witnessed instead is a pattern of arrogance, inflammatory rhetoric, and an alarming disregard for public sensitivity.

Mr President, leadership is not about shouting the loudest or wielding power with intimidation. Leadership is about restraint. It is about listening. It is about understanding that authority flows from the people and must be exercised with care. When a public officer speaks and acts as though he is above criticism, above institutions, and above the people, democracy itself is put at risk.

The repeated public outbursts, confrontational posture, and dismissive attitude toward dissent raise serious questions about temperament and suitability for such a sensitive national assignment. Nigeria is already grappling with economic hardship, insecurity, and deep social divisions. This is not the time for public officials to add fuel to the fire through arrogance and needless controversy.

Of particular concern is the perception, right or wrong, that governance in the FCT is being driven by ego rather than empathy, by force rather than fairness, and by personal pride rather than public interest. Even well-intentioned policies lose legitimacy when they are enforced without humanity, consultation, or respect for due process.

Mr President, silence in the face of this growing discontent may be interpreted as endorsement. Nigerians expect more. They expect corrective leadership. They expect you, as the father of the nation, to remind every appointee that power is borrowed, not owned and that it must be exercised within the bounds of decency, law, and democratic values.

This is not a call for witch-hunting. It is not a call for personal vendetta. It is a call for accountability. It is a call for moderation. It is a call for you to do what is right, and to do it as soon as possible, in the interest of national stability and public confidence.

If Nigeria must move forward, we cannot normalise arrogance in public office. We cannot reward disrespect with silence. We cannot preach unity while tolerating conduct that deepens resentment and fear.

History will remember not just the policies of this administration, but the standards it upheld and the behaviour it tolerated. We urge you, Mr President, to take the rightful and necessary steps to address this situation decisively, whether through caution, correction, or reassessment, so that governance in the FCT reflects the dignity, fairness, and humility Nigerians deserve.

Nigeria belongs to all of us. No public office holder is bigger than the people. No position is above accountability.