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The Punch reported on Saturday, November 15, 2025, that allies of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and retired military officers are sharply divided over how to handle Tuesday’s altercation between the minister and naval officer Lieutenant Ahmed Yerima.

Wike approached military personnel stationed at a contested Abuja property that was purportedly owned by former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo.

At a news conference on Friday in Kaduna, retired military officers called on President Tinubu to take swift action. The group, which was made up of senior commanders and retired generals from several branches of the military, called Wike’s actions during the altercation “demeaning” and “a direct insult to the Armed Forces.”

Dr. Awwal Abdullahi, representing the veterans, issued a stark ultimatum, declaring: “If the President refuses to sack Wike, we will mobilise and occupy the Ministry of FCT until he is removed.”

On the other hand, civil society organizations have endorsed Minister Wike and demanded that Lieutenant Yerima’s actions be looked into. The officer’s actions, according to the National Coalition for Democratic Integrity, were “grossly disrespectful” and directly violated civilian oversight standards that are essential to Nigeria’s democracy. They contended that interfering with a minister’s official duties creates a risky precedent that would jeopardize constitutional order.

In response to the veterans’ demands, the Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka stated that the minister had adequately explained his viewpoint while pointing out their constitutional right to express their opinion.

Former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu, on the other hand, described the scandal as a reflection of deeper national intolerance, implying that the public’s response was more impacted by personal feelings toward Wike than by the incident’s actual circumstances.

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