Wike was not banned from Villa over drunkenness —Aide

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has debunked allegations that the former Rivers State governor has been banned the Presidential Villa as he was allegedly drunk when he received the visiting Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday, November 15th.

Olayinka described the claim made by a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Jackson Ude that his principal, Nyesom Wike, was drunk as a lie.

In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, Ude had claimed that Wike was under the influence of alcohol when he welcomed Modi and as such, has been banned from the Villa.

According to Ude, an unnamed security officer from the Presidential Villa gave him the privilege information.

But while countering the allegations by Ude, Olayinka presented pictures debunking the claims, saying at no time was Wike drunk on Saturday.

In a statement shared on his X handle, Olayinka said:

“Ordinarily, our approach to a character like Jackson Ude, being aware of his stock-in-trade, is to ignore him and allow him the freedom to advertise his usual idiocy.

“However, knowing that the said Jackson Ude, also operates as a sponsored liar against people, for which he earns a living, it behoves on us to respond.

“Straight from the Airport, the FCT Minister led Prime Minister Narenda Modi to his hotel on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, Wike was at the hotel to perform his duty of leading the visiting Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa.

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“The two attached photographs should be enough to deflate Jackson Ude’s balloon of lies.

“Interestingly, when Jackson Ude was reminded of the above, he quickly spin (sic) another lie, by asking why the Indian Security Operatives stopped the Minister from following the Prime Minister to his Hotel Suite after the incident at the airport.

“Fact is, the FCT Minister led the Prime Minister to his hotel, from the Airport and it was from the hotel that he (Wike) led the Prime Minister to the Presidential Villa on Sunday morning, where his duty ended.

“Up till now, Jackson Ude is still spinning lies to defend his initial lies. But for us who know his antecedents, we will not dignify him henceforth.

“After all, this same Jackson Ude, said in many tweets that the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, had fled Nigeria, through Nigeria Republic. He even accused the Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle of helping Yahaya Bello to escape to Niger Republic.

“However, the same Yahaya Bello that Jackson Ude said had fled Nigeria showed up at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on September 18, 2024.

“How the same man Jackson Ude claimed ‘Matawalle mobilized eight military personnel to escort to Niger Republic via Kebbi State, through the border town of lllela, in two dark tinted Hilux pickups and a Land Cruiser’ was at the EFCC office on September 18, he (Ude) has not explained.

“Rather, he has jumped to peddling other lies against high profile Nigerians, the latest being the FCT Minister.

“As usual, now that we have released pictures of the FCT Minister in his hotel with the Indian Prime Minister on Saturday and on Sunday morning at the Presidential Villa, Jackson Ude, will try to spin more lies to defend his initial lies. But like I have said, we won’t be bothered.”

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