Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s silence over the recent confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer in Abuja, describing it as a “troubling endorsement of impunity and arrogance in public office.”
Frank, in a statement on Thursday, said Wike’s public outburst against a uniformed officer during an enforcement operation was not just an act of poor judgment, but “a window into the culture of unrestrained power, arrogance, and disregard for accountability that defines the current administration.”
According to him, the incident exposed a deeper moral and institutional decay within the political class, where loyalty to the President now outweighs loyalty to the Constitution and respect for public institutions.
“This episode goes beyond Wike as an individual. It is about a system where power is abused and decorum abandoned,” Frank said. “When a serving minister can humiliate an officer in uniform without consequence, it tells you that discipline has collapsed at the highest levels.”
The outspoken activist, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, described Wike’s leadership style as “imperial and unaccountable,” adding that his actions have repeatedly undermined due process and the rule of law.
“Since becoming FCT Minister, Wike has behaved as though the capital city were his personal estate,” Frank said. “His frequent disregard for court orders and combative posture toward dissenting voices have turned governance into a theatre of intimidation.”
He expressed disappointment that President Tinubu has yet to publicly address the incident, warning that such silence risks normalizing impunity among government officials.
“Tinubu’s refusal to call Wike to order is dangerous. It signals that political loyalty offers immunity from discipline,” Frank said. “This sends a wrong message — that the law applies only to the powerless, while the powerful act without restraint.”
Frank praised the naval officer for his calm and professional conduct in the face of provocation, describing it as “a model of restraint and dignity.”
“That officer deserves commendation for his discipline,” he said. “In a country that values service and civility, he would be publicly recognized for upholding the honour of his uniform.”
He lamented that such public misconduct by senior officials continues to erode Nigeria’s global image, reinforcing perceptions of lawlessness and weak governance.
“Incidents like this diminish Nigeria before the international community. They remind the world that arrogance still overshadows accountability in our leadership culture,” Frank noted.
Calling on the President to act decisively, Frank urged Tinubu to publicly reprimand Wike and restore confidence in the government’s commitment to justice and discipline.
“A democracy dies not from coups, but from silence in the face of wrongdoing,” he warned. “The President must choose between shielding arrogance and strengthening accountability. The time to act is now.”
Nyesom Wike
