Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, has addressed remarks made against him by Lere Olayinka, a media aide to Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister. Abati shared his response through a statement posted on his social media accounts on Saturday.
The controversy stems from comments Olayinka made during a recent episode of the popular Arise Television breakfast programme, “The Morning Show.” On Friday, Olayinka suggested that Abati resign from his role as a television host and become a spokesperson for Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State. He accused Abati of being unprofessional after the latter expressed support for Amaechi in an ongoing dispute with Wike, while also alleging that Abati had previously sought financial assistance from the FCT minister without finding him “rude and disrespectful.”
Despite Olayinka’s accusations, Abati was absent from the discussion, prompting Olayinka to commend Arise TV’s management for allegedly requesting Abati to step away from the show. However, another co-host, Rufai Oseni, countered this assertion, clarifying that Abati was unable to attend due to illness.
In his statement, Abati clarified that he was not present on Friday because he participated in a pre-scheduled book review, not out of avoidance. He firmly denied any claims that he acts as a spokesperson for Amaechi, emphasized that he had never solicited funds from Wike, and expressed a desire for a direct conversation with the FCT minister rather than through a proxy.
Abati stated, “I have never approached Minister Nyesom Wike to beg for money. That is a lie. If anyone— including an ex-partner— went to him under false pretenses to solicit funds in my name, I place a clear disclaimer. Such actions were not authorized by me, and Minister Wike reserves every right to call it out as fraud.”
Moreover, he clarified his relationship with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stating he was invited for questioning but had never been asked to return any funds, adding that the EFCC later apologized to him under former Chairman Ibrahim Magu.
“I stand firmly by everything I said regarding Minister Wike. He is a public official occupying a public office and should remain subject to public scrutiny. Nobody in public service is above accountability,” Abati concluded, also mentioning that accusations against the late Buruji Kashamu were never substantiated in court and should not be amplified posthumously.