Nigeria’s prominent human rights lawyer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, recently criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, challenging his ethical conduct and questioning his influence over judicial decisions.
This critique, expressed in an article titled “Wiked Judges and Nyesomised Courts,” accused Wike of leveraging financial incentives to sway court outcomes. Odinkalu pointed to instances where Wike allegedly provided luxury SUVs to judges, awarded contracts to former justices, and began construction projects to benefit the judiciary. He argued these acts demonstrated an “unusual coincidence of mutually beneficial relationships with the judiciary.”
Odinkalu’s remarks referenced a Federal High Court ruling that suspended federal allocations to Rivers State, a case reportedly filed by allies of Wike within the Rivers State House of Assembly. The timing of this ruling, coupled with Wike’s past influence over judicial matters, led Odinkalu to suggest a pattern of actions benefiting Wike’s interests. He further accused Wike of routinely securing “outcomes that defy lawful judicial principles,” describing him as fitting the prohibited behavior outlined in Nigeria’s judicial conduct codes.
Wike, speaking at the launch of the N10 billion FCT Renewed Hope initiative, fired back, questioning Odinkalu’s professional credibility and accomplishments as a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). “They were given an opportunity at the Human Rights Commission. Ask them what they achieved—zero,” Wike stated, challenging Odinkalu’s academic title and his tenure at NHRC.
Odinkalu responded on social media, labeling Wike a “greedy glutton” and accusing him of using public funds to maintain influence. On his X (formerly Twitter) account, Odinkalu remarked, “In Abuja, @GovWike is flexing… He can buy whomever he wants with public money… But even that has a shelf-life.” Odinkalu then criticized Wike’s perceived entitlement to public resources, asserting that he has no interest in extending his legacy at the NHRC.
On LinkedIn, Odinkalu expounded his views, describing Wike’s career trajectory from a local government chair in Rivers State to his current position as FCT Minister, labeling him as a “quintessential Government Indigene.” In a series of pointed comments, he alleged that Wike’s career has been marked by a reliance on public funds and judicial support, remarking that Wike had become the “#GreedyGlutton of Nigerian politics.” Odinkalu concluded by accusing Wike of demanding “worship” and exploiting Nigeria’s resources, a habit he compared to an unrelenting “clasped grip on Nigeria’s feeding bottle.”
