FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said state governors have the responsibility to inform President Bola Tinubu about security challenges and major incidents occurring in their states, rather than waiting for the President to contact them first.
Wike made the statement during his media parley on Thursday, July 9, while reacting to comments by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, regarding the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
Obi had disclosed that he met with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on July 3, where the governor reportedly stated that President Tinubu had not contacted him more than 50 days after the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
The former Anambra governor described the situation as a sign of leadership failure, questioning why the President had not reached out to the state governor over such a serious security incident.
Responding to Obi’s remarks, Wike criticised the former presidential candidate, accusing him of turning issues into political discussions.
“I don’t know how I will value any statement made by Obi. He has not shown a man who is not consistent. Everything for him is politics,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister argued that governors, as chief security officers of their states, should take the initiative by contacting the President whenever serious incidents occur within their jurisdictions.
According to Wike, if Governor Makinde wanted the President’s attention over the abduction, he should have reached out directly to him and explained the situation.
“If something happens in my state now, it is for me to call Mr President first and say this is the problem. That is how it is done. You cannot turn it the other way round,” he said.
Wike stressed that communication between state governments and the federal government is necessary during security crises, adding that governors should not wait for the President to make the first move before reporting challenges affecting their states.
The controversy follows growing public discussions over the government’s response to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, with political leaders offering different views on who bears responsibility for addressing security emergencies.
