Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike's on-air comment about wanting to "shoot" broadcaster Seun Okinbaloye as a serious threat, not a joke. In a statement issued Saturday, Atiku condemned the remark as "disgraceful and dangerous," saying it reflected a broader pattern of intolerance under President Bola Tinubu's administration. He emphasized that Wike's words were not mere banter but a "clear, direct, and deeply sinister" threat against a journalist for expressing a professional opinion. Atiku noted that Okinbaloye had warned about the risk of a one-party state, a legitimate concern in a democracy, yet received a violent retort from a top government official.
The former vice president demanded an immediate and unconditional public apology from Wike to Okinbaloye and the Nigerian media. He also called for the Tinubu administration to publicly reject such rhetoric and provide concrete assurances for journalists' safety. Atiku warned that the normalization of violent language by public officials signals a dangerous erosion of democratic norms. Without accountability, he said, the incident confirms growing fears of a government comfortable with repression.
A minister wishing to shoot a journalist on live TV is not hyperbole—it's a test of how much degradation Nigerian democracy can absorb. When Nyesom Wike made that remark, he did not face suspension, investigation, or presidential rebuke; he faced applause from allies. That silence from Aso Rock speaks louder than any apology could. For Nigerian journalists, this means the risk of reporting is no longer just in the field—it's from the podium.
