Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has come under heavy criticism for attending the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with his two sons.
The development has triggered widespread outrage among Nigerians who accused the minister of using public resources to sponsor what they described as a “family vacation” under the guise of an official engagement.
Images from the summit showed Wike’s sons wearing delegate tags and sitting alongside the minister during some sessions.
The event, which attracted city leaders, mayors, and policymakers from across the world, was aimed at promoting global partnerships on urban development and sustainability.
While many officials praised the participation of Nigeria at the meeting, public reaction turned sour after Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, posted a photo of the minister and his children on X with the caption, “When e reach your turn, carry your enemies travel.”
The statement immediately went viral, prompting a torrent of angry reactions from Nigerians who felt mocked by what they considered a display of arrogance and disregard for public accountability.
On Wednesday afternoon, the post had already generated 454,000 views, 130 reposts, 286 quotes, 914 likes and 91 bookmarks.
Several users on social media questioned the justification for including the minister’s children in an official delegation, insisting that such slots should be reserved for qualified public servants or professionals within the FCT Administration.
Posting under the name, magaflexing, a user, wrote, “This is exactly one of the mindset that has kept Africa backward. There should be nothing like friend or enemy in governance. It should be about the interest of the people and the best that can deliver should be the ones put in position”.
One X user, @iOccupyNigeria, wrote, “Wike no be governor, no be mayor. He be Minister of FCT, yet he carry him children go Dubai as delegates. Na public money dem use fly go. Who born that kind impunity?”
Another user, @BigOnukwugha, argued that the practice undermines Nigeria’s bureaucracy and professionalism.
“When a minister replaces career civil servants with family members on international trips, it weakens institutional growth and continuity,” he said.
Others linked the incident to a pattern of entitlement and nepotism among political elites.
“You are watching your resources being spent on father and sons who will later rule over you. And you still clap for them,” @Real_me_Abdul posted.
The outrage spread across platforms such as X and Facebook, with many accusing Wike of turning governance into a personal enterprise.
Some compared the situation to what they described as “dynastic politics” in parts of Nigeria where political leaders are grooming their children for public office.
Adding fuel to the fire, Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, had previously questioned the minister’s conduct in a Facebook post.
“What is Wike’s son doing in a meeting of the directors of the Ministry of Aviation and the FCT?” he asked, in a post that quickly gained traction online.
Despite the mounting criticism, neither Wike nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration has issued an official statement on the matter.
As public outrage persists, many Nigerians are calling on anti-corruption agencies and the National Assembly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the trip and determine whether it violated public service regulations.
(Daily Trust)
