In a statement released on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the Minister dismissed the accusations as a desperate attempt to tarnish his image and distract from the administration’s developmental agenda.
“As usual, this sponsored blackmail has failed. Those seeking to blackmail the FCT Minister will need to put more effort,” Olayinka said.
Wike had previously denied reports suggesting that he allocated 2,082 hectares of land in Maitama and Asokoro districts to his son via a company named Jordan Farms and Estates Limited.
Reacting to fresh allegations linking a company called Jordan Farms and Estates Limited to another of Wike’s sons, Olayinka said the accusations were unfounded and intentionally misleading. He emphasised that these narratives are part of a larger politically motivated smear campaign.
“Even though like other Nigerians, it is the right of children of the Minister, his friends, associates and relatives to own lands anywhere in the country, including the FCT, provided all necessary conditions are met, as at today, no land has been allocated to any of the Minister’s children,” the aide explained.
Olayinka confirmed that land had indeed been allocated to Jordan Farms and Estates Limited. However, he clarified that the company is a properly registered Nigerian entity with no affiliation to the Minister’s
family.
“That one of the sons of the FCT Minister is named Jordan, and there is a company called Jordan Farms and Estates Limited, is no reason anyone should conclude that the company belongs to Wike’sson,” he stated.
He challenged those making the allegations to provide evidence from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) confirming any familial connection between the Minister and the company in question.
To further drive home the absurdity of the assumptions, Olayinka made an analogy:
“My name is Lere Olayinka, and there is Lere Local Government in Kaduna State. Do I own the Local Government? Am I even from Kaduna State?”
He also cited examples of other businesses bearing the name ‘Jordan’ such as Jordan Telecommunications and Jordan Foods, pointing out that name similarities do not imply ownership or association.
In what appeared to be a veiled jab at a known political opponent, Olayinka accused an unnamed critic from Adamawa State of orchestrating the falsehoods due to Wike’s support for the power shift between Nigeria’s northern and southern regions.
“Let that fellow from Adamawa State, who is struggling to get at the FCT Minister for supporting power rotation between the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, put more efforts,” he remarked.
“Just like the one of last week, this one too has failed even before its commencement.”
The Minister’s office reiterated its commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that no amount of blackmail will derail the developmental efforts ongoing in the FCT.
“Nothing will stop him from continuing with his developmental efforts in the FCT in accordance with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Olayinka affirmed.
This rebuttal marks yet another chapter in the intensifying political drama surrounding land allocations in the FCT. While critics continue to question the transparency of land distribution, Wike maintains his position — adamant that neither he nor his children have engaged in any wrongdoing.
