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November 20, (THEWILL) – Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has refuted claims by Jackson Ude, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, that he was intoxicated during Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Nigeria.
Ude had alleged that Wike was barred from the Presidential Villa after reportedly arriving drunk to welcome the Prime Minister at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, described the claim as baseless and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
Olayinka said Wike officially welcomed Prime Minister Modi at the airport as directed by President Bola Tinubu. He also accompanied the Indian leader to his hotel and later escorted him to the Presidential Villa the next morning.
Photographic evidence alongside the statement showed Wike with Modi at the hotel and the Villa, contradicting Ude’s claims.
The statement also criticised Ude for a history of spreading falsehoods.
Wike’s office emphasised its decision to no longer respond to what it termed “false and misleading narratives” from unreliable sources.
The Minister said he remains focused on his duties, and urged the public to disregard the allegation and focus on the positive outcomes of Prime Minister Modi’s visit, which aimed to strengthen Nigeria-India relations.
