Veterans Demand Tinubu Sack Wike Over Clash With Naval Officer, Threaten Mass Occupation of FCT Ministry
Tension escalated on Friday as retired service members under the umbrella of the Coalition of Concerned Military Veterans demanded that President Bola Tinubu remove or redeploy the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja.
The coalition—made up of retired generals and senior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force—expressed outrage over what they described as a direct affront to the military institution and the presidency.
PulseNets learnt that the altercation between Wike and the naval officer stemmed from a dispute over a piece of land reportedly under the protection of armed military personnel led by one Yerima, said to be acting on the directive of former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.).
A video obtained by PulseNets shows the visibly agitated FCT minister confronting the officer while accusing the former naval chief of unlawfully taking possession of the land.
But the veterans warned that should President Tinubu fail to take decisive action, they would “mobilise massively and occupy the FCT ministry until Wike is removed.”
At a press conference in Kaduna, leaders of the coalition condemned the minister’s behaviour as “demeaning”, “unacceptable”, and “a blatant insult to the Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief”.
Delivering the keynote address, Col. Yusuf Ibrahim (retd.), a member of the coalition’s Board of Trustees, described the viral video where Wike called a naval officer “a fool” as disgraceful and unbefitting of a federal minister.
He stated, “Public office is not for everyone. Watching a minister openly call a commissioned officer ‘a fool’ was shocking. If the minister had genuine concerns, he could have contacted the Chief of Naval Staff privately. But embarrassing a serving officer—and by extension a retired general—is unacceptable. Who exactly does Wike think he is?”
Ibrahim argued that the officer acted under lawful military orders and insisted that disrespecting him amounted to undermining state authority.
He added that Wike must offer a formal apology to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the officer involved, and President Tinubu.
In contrast, the veterans applauded the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle; the Chief of Defence Staff; and all Service Chiefs for what they termed the “professional and stabilising approach” taken in handling the matter.
“We commend the defence leadership for their calm and mature response,” Ibrahim said.
Another member of the coalition, Dr Awwal Abdullahi, who identified himself as a Deputy Veteran Commander, accused the FCT minister of exhibiting a recurrent pattern of hostility toward military personnel.
He warned that if President Tinubu fails to dismiss Wike, the veterans would embark on sustained protests at the FCT ministry.
Abdullahi said, “We stand here as representatives of every military veteran in Nigeria. What the minister did to that officer—an officer obeying lawful instructions—was totally wrong. The young man acted with dignity, and he was ridiculed for it.”
According to him, the minister has a “habit of talking down on anyone he wishes, especially members of the Armed Forces.”
He went on to accuse Wike of undermining both the institution of the military and the President’s political credibility.
He explained, “This is not the first time. He has revoked military properties as though he bears a personal grudge. He has demolished structures belonging to serving and retired officers across all services. Even entire Air Force facilities have suffered under his actions.”
Abdullahi insisted that Wike’s behaviour was disrespectful not only to the officer but to President Tinubu, who appointed him in trust.
He maintained that loyalty within the Armed Forces remains unquestionable, pointing out that Wike’s actions could erode the President’s long-standing goodwill.
He said, “President Tinubu built his reputation on friendship, respect, and fairness. Wike is creating unnecessary enemies, and these enemies reflect poorly on the President. Loyalty in our profession is total. Anything less than 100 per cent is not loyalty. We cannot say the same of the minister.”
Abdullahi argued that replacing Wike would not harm the administration.
He stated, “If Nyesom Wike is removed today, nothing catastrophic will happen. There are many capable Nigerians who can manage the FCT ministry with dignity, respect, and political maturity. We won’t tolerate this arrogance any longer.”
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He warned that the coalition would blockade the ministry until a suitable replacement is appointed.
He emphasised, “The FCT minister must be someone mature, humane, and capable of representing Nigeria with honour. The FCT is the nation’s heart. The minister must unite the country, not fight it.”
