Wike’s Aide Downplays ‘Shoot’ Remark Against TV Anchor, Calls It Hyperbole

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike aide, has dismissed his controversial “shoot” comment about Seun Okinbaloye as exaggerated, saying it was never intended as a threat.

The clarification was made on Saturday by Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka following backlash over the minister’s remarks during a media parley in Abuja.

Mr Olayinka said the minister’s statement was hyperbolic and not meant to suggest physical harm, adding that both men have since spoken privately.

“The minister never meant that he will shoot Seun Okinbaloye. They even spoke on the phone today, and he understood what the minister meant,” he said.

He explained that the comment was directed at the journalist’s perceived departure from professional neutrality rather than a personal attack.

Mr Wike made the controversial statement while reacting to comments by Mr Okinbaloye during a programme on Channels Television, where the anchor raised concerns about Nigeria drifting toward a one-party state.

According to the minister, the presenter overstepped his role by expressing a personal position instead of maintaining journalistic detachment.

“I am not saying I will kill him. I am just angered that he made that kind of statement on national television,” Mr Wike said during the media session.

Clarification and reaction

Mr Olayinka noted that the minister had clarified his statement during the live programme, stressing that it was not a literal threat.

He added that journalists present, including Chamberlain Uzor, understood the context and did not interpret the remark as serious.

He warned against what he described as attempts to misrepresent the comment for political purposes, urging the public to consider the full context.

Public backlash

Despite the clarification, the remark drew criticism from activists and commentators, who raised concerns about press freedom and the tone of political discourse.

Among them, Rinu Oduala questioned the appropriateness of such language by a public official, while others on social media described the comment as troubling.

Some critics linked the incident to broader concerns about democratic space under the All Progressives Congress.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between political figures and the media, as well as concerns over the limits of rhetoric in public discourse and its potential impact on press freedom in Nigeria.