The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has come under fire following his controversial remark suggesting he felt like shooting Channels Television anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, during a live media interaction.
However, his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, has dismissed the comment as mere exaggeration, insisting that the minister never intended any harm.
Wike had sparked outrage on Friday during a media chat when he reacted to Okinbaloye’s comment on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where the journalist warned of Nigeria drifting towards a one-party state amid the crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a moment that quickly went viral, the minister said, “I was surprised yesterday, thoroughly surprised. When I was watching Politics Today, Seun. If there was any way to break the screen, I would have shot him.”
The statement triggered widespread criticism, with many Nigerians and media stakeholders condemning what they described as a dangerous and inappropriate remark from a public office holder.
But in a statement issued on Saturday, Olayinka said the comment had been taken out of context and blown out of proportion by critics for political gain.
According to him, Wike’s remark was made in a “hyperbolic context” to express anger over what he perceived as the journalist’s perceived alignment with a political narrative.
“The minister never meant that he will shoot Seun Okinbaloye,” Olayinka said.
“They even spoke on the phone today, and he (Okinbaloye) understood what the minister meant.”
He explained that Wike, who holds the journalist in high regard, was only displeased that Okinbaloye appeared to speak like a participant in the political crisis rather than maintaining the objectivity expected of a broadcaster.
“What the minister meant, which he made clear during the media chat, was that he was angry seeing Okinbaloye… descending into the political arena by speaking as an interested party instead of an interviewer,” he said.
Olayinka further argued that the minister’s statement was being weaponised by political opponents to discredit him.
“The statement made by the minister was in hyperbolic context, which was clearly without intent. It was primarily using exaggeration to make a point,” he added.
He also pointed out that during the same interview, Wike had clarified his remarks, stressing that he did not mean he would physically attack or shoot the journalist.
“After the minister detailed explanations… it will become a clear hatchet job for any individual or group to pick the statement out of context and make any issue out of it,” Olayinka said.
The controversy continues to generate debate about the limits of political rhetoric and the responsibility of public officials in their engagement with the media, with many observers warning that such statements could undermine press freedom and public trust.
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