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Social Media erupts as Wike travels to Dubai with sons on official assignment
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has come under intense criticism for attending the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with his two sons.
The move has sparked outrage among Nigerians who accused the minister of turning the official trip into a “family vacation” funded with public resources. Photos from the summit showed Wike’s sons wearing delegate tags and seated beside him during some sessions.
The international event, which gathered city leaders and policymakers from around the world, aimed to promote global collaboration on urban development and sustainability.
However, public reaction shifted sharply after Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, posted a photo of the minister and his children on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “When e reach your turn, carry your enemies travel.”
The post went viral, attracting nearly half a million views and widespread condemnation. Many Nigerians expressed anger over what they described as arrogance and disregard for accountability.
A user identified as @magaflexing wrote, “This is exactly one of the mindsets that has kept Africa backward. Governance should be about competence, not favoritism.”
Another, @iOccupyNigeria, said, “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?”
Critics argued that allowing the minister’s children to participate in the official delegation undermines professionalism within the FCT Administration.
“When a minister replaces career civil servants with family members on international trips, it weakens institutional growth and continuity,” noted @BigOnukwugha.
Some Nigerians likened the act to “dynastic politics,” claiming it reflected a broader culture of entitlement among political elites. “You are watching your resources being spent on father and sons who will later rule over you,” wrote @Real_me_Abdul.
Adding to the controversy, Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, also questioned the move, asking in a Facebook post, “What is Wike’s son doing in a meeting of the directors of the Ministry of Aviation and the FCT?”
Despite the backlash, neither Wike nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration has issued a formal response.
Meanwhile, calls are growing for anti-corruption agencies and the National Assembly to probe the trip and determine whether it breached public service regulations.
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