Wike Urges Tinubu to Release NDDC Audit, Alleges N48bn Scandal

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By Sofiat Adenekan

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on President Bola Tinubu to make public the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) covering the period from 2015 to 2022.

This is as Wike, alleged that the report contains details of the annual disbursement of N48 billion for the training of women in the Niger Delta, which, according to him, was mishandled.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Wike accused former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, of deliberately suppressing the audit to shield key beneficiaries.

“The forensic audit is there. Who killed it? It was Malami. Mr. President should help Nigerians by releasing the document,” Wike stated, adding, “If what I’m saying is not contained in that report, I will resign as FCT Minister.”

The former Rivers State Governor emphasized that the NDDC paid out N4 billion monthly for women empowerment programmes, amounting to N48 billion annually, and questioned the transparency of the process.

Wike also took aim at former Minister of Transportation and his political rival, Rotimi Amaechi, rejecting Amaechi’s claims that his wife, Judith Amaechi, is an industrialist.

“She’s not an industrialist. She’s a trader,” Wike said, referring to Mrs. Amaechi’s involvement with the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), a non-governmental organization focusing on women and children’s rights. He insisted that the characterization of her as an industrialist is misleading.

During an earlier interview on the same programme, Amaechi had described his wife as a businesswoman involved in the trade of native fabrics. Wike refuted this, stating, “It is unfortunate for a former governor to mislead the public about his wife’s status.”

In a continuation of the long-running feud between both political figures, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s assertion that he was politically elevated by the former governor.

“When he was in Ghana during the political crisis, I was the one taking risks for him,” Wike recounted. “I spent everything I had. I even gave my wife my will at a point. That’s how dangerous things were.”

Wike praised President Tinubu’s efforts in stabilizing the economy, claiming the nation was in a state of institutional and economic collapse under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Tinubu inherited a totally broken system. The economy had collapsed. In just over a year, he’s begun to revive it. It’s unfair for people to start launching political coalitions against him so early,” Wike argued.

He criticized the recently formed coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has signaled plans to contest power in 2027. The coalition includes political figures such as former Senate President David Mark and former Minister Bolaji Abdullahi.

Wike questioned their credibility, stating: “The road to Benue wasn’t done when David Mark was Senate President for eight years. Tinubu is doing it now. As for Bolaji Abdullahi, he has gone from party to party looking for relevance.”

He also dismissed the presidential ambitions of Amaechi, who recently announced plans to contest under the ADC platform, noting: “You had eight years as a minister. What did you do? Now you want to come back to power?”

At a separate event on Friday —while commissioning the rehabilitated Aguma Palace Road and New Market Road in Gwagwalada Area Council—Wike challenged the ADC coalition to present their performance records, urging them to focus on their past contributions rather than criticizing a government that is barely two years into its tenure.

“People who had the opportunity to serve and failed are now leading a coalition. Nigerians are watching. Let them show us their scorecards,” he said.