Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has emphatically debunked widespread rumors claiming he suffered a heart attack during a recent trip to London. Speaking on Thursday at the flag-off ceremony for the construction of Arterial Road N1, which spans from Wuye District to Ring Road II, the minister clarified that his journey abroad was purely for rest and relaxation. He highlighted that it was the first time since his appointment as minister that he had traveled without the burden of official work files, emphasizing the need for personal well-being amidst demanding public service.

“Since I took this appointment as minister, I have never had time to travel out, so I said let me go on holidays,” Wike stated. He added, “Each time I travel, I travel with files and CofOs, so this time around I said I won’t travel with any file. So if the world will crumble, let it crumble, because one has to be alive before you satisfy all the people.” This assertion directly countered the “rumour mill” which had been “agog” last week with claims that the former Rivers state governor was seriously ill after suffering a heart attack.

Wike did not mince words when addressing those he believed were behind the reports, attributing them to political motivations. He expressed a strong, almost confrontational stance towards his detractors, remarking, “The day you drop, they will announce some other person the next day. You must make sure while you’re working you also take time out and relax. Before I knew it, I heard people said I was sick, I hear they have heart attack. God will continue to help them to have heart attack. It’s my prayer I will sign their condolences.” He reiterated this sentiment, stating, “It’s my prayer that very soon I will write a letter that we are sorry we loved him, but take heart because it’s God that gives and God that has taken.”

Beyond personal attacks, the minister used the occasion to criticise the rampant spread of misinformation, particularly through social media. He specifically weighed in on recent criticisms directed at President Bola Tinubu, citing an instance where Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, described the President as a “criminal.” The Department of State Services (DSS) had subsequently called for the deactivation of Sowore’s social media accounts, citing potential incitement to violence and threats to national security.

Wike argued that such open criticism of the President is only possible because of Tinubu’s commitment to the rule of law. “This is a country where somebody on social media will say Mr President is a criminal; nothing will happen. You say all kinds of things you want to say, but nothing will happen,” he observed. He challenged critics to consider how such statements would be received in other nations, asking, “No matter how you see people criticise Trump, have you ever seen any American citizen on social media, or in public, say our President is a criminal? Have you heard that?” He concluded by emphasizing, “You are lucky you have a president who believes in the rule of law. You are lucky. Continue to be lucky,” while warning that under certain other leaders, such “luck” might not exist.