Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Bode George, has launched a blistering attack on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, saying the minister was publicly disowned by his biological father and describing him as unfit to make allegations about the ownership of his Abuja residence.
George made the remarks during an interview on TVC, where he responded to Wike’s recent allegation that his Maitama home in Abuja was acquired with funds belonging to Rivers State.
In one of his strongest public responses to the FCT minister, the elder statesman said it was beneath his status to engage in a war of words with someone he described as “a child,” before alleging that Wike had been publicly rejected by his father.
“It’s an infra-dignitatem for me to respond to a child who is just about the same age as my first child. Go and find out about him, what his father did to him and what he did to his father. In Africa, if your biological father publicly disowns you, you know what that means?” George said.
He added that he pitied Wike’s family and insisted that the minister’s allegations were baseless.
George also questioned Wike’s mental state, saying he initially felt the minister should be taken to a psychiatric hospital after hearing the accusations.
“I said to myself that that young man needs to be immediately taken to the psychiatric hospital. He’s talking absolute rubbish,” he said.
The former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP categorically denied that his Abuja residence had any connection with Rivers State funds, explaining that he purchased the property through an agent from its previous owner rather than building it himself.
“I didn’t even build the house. The house was already built; I bought it, and it’s still there. The agent got it for me, and the owner was a retired civil servant. So what has Rivers State got to do with it?”
George further dismissed Wike’s allegation as illogical.
“Am I from Rivers State? Is Rivers State a bank for me to go and borrow money? What has he got to do with the price of milk? It’s my house.”
He revealed that he would seek legal redress against the minister over the allegations.
“I’m going to sue him to court for all the shenanigans and the thoughtlessness. I’m sure he was high on something,” he said.
The PDP chieftain also urged those around President Bola Tinubu to distance the President from Wike, saying the minister was not providing useful advice.
“It’s high time this guy in the Villa should move away from him. You don’t need him for anything.”
When asked whether he would be willing to reconcile with Wike if the survival of the PDP required both men to work together, George suggested the relationship had deteriorated beyond repair.
“How? He got to a point where he sank himself,” he said.
George’s response followed comments made by Wike during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, where the FCT minister challenged the PDP leader to explain the ownership of his Maitama residence.
Responding to criticisms of corruption and his style of governance, Wike alleged that the Abuja property occupied by George was linked to Rivers State funds.
“This man from Lagos, Bode George, when they talk about corruption, ask him about the house he is living in Maitama. Is it not Rivers State money?” Wike said.
The minister argued that public officials and political leaders who accuse others of corruption should themselves be prepared to account for their assets and sources of wealth.
During the media briefing, Wike also defended his administration’s infrastructure policy in the Federal Capital Territory, insisting that contracts would only be awarded when there was sufficient financial backing to ensure completion.
According to him, governments should be judged by completed projects rather than the number of contracts awarded.
“Awarding contract is easy, but cash-backing it is another thing,” the minister said, warning that projects initiated without guaranteed funding often end up abandoned and become liabilities for host communities.
He maintained that the FCT Administration would continue to prioritise realistic financing plans before approving major infrastructure projects.
