Former aviation minister, Osita Chidoka, has criticised Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over his recent confrontation with a uniformed military officer in Abuja.
In a statement on Tuesday, Chidoka said any law enforcement officer in uniform represents the authority of the Nigerian state, and that abusing such an officer “diminishes the authority of the Republic”.
He said Wike’s decision to personally enforce a directive at a disputed site was “a fundamental misstep”.
Chidoka said executive power in a constitutional democracy must be exercised through lawful processes and institutions, not through physical presence or confrontation.
He stated: “In a democracy, ministers act through process, not presence. A formal communication to the Minister of Defence would have sufficed.
“If the officers were on illegal duty, the established disciplinary systems would have addressed it.”
Chidoka said a minister cannot assume the role of an enforcer of directives, adding that such conduct “violates the very idea of ordered government”.
“When a minister trades words with a uniformed officer acting under orders — lawful or otherwise — it corrodes discipline and confuses hierarchy,” he said.
He said Wike should apologise to the officer for using “abusive language”, describing the behaviour as unacceptable.
Chidoka also faulted the conduct of the Department of State Services (DSS) operatives attached to Wike, saying their responsibility was to “extract their principal from a potentially dangerous situation, not to escalate it”.
He said security officers must remember that their loyalty is to the Nigerian state, not individuals.
“This episode demeans the dignity of the office of the minister and undermines the image of disciplined governance,” Chidoka said.
