Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has urged Arise TV host Reuben Abati to step down from his role, accusing him of bias and aligning with former minister Rotimi Amaechi. Olayinka criticized Abati’s recent comments against Wike and suggested he now acts as Amaechi’s spokesperson. Arise co-host Rufai Oseni refuted claims that Abati was asked to stay off-air due to Olayinka’s presence, stating Abati was absent due to illness.
Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on Arise TV host Reuben Abati to resign from his role and officially become the spokesperson for former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Olayinka made the statement during his appearance on Arise TV on Friday, June 6, where he criticized Abati over his recent remarks about Wike. The tension stems from a statement made by Amaechi during his 60th birthday celebration, where he lamented the state of the country, saying he and millions of Nigerians are hungry. He also suggested that with strong opposition, President Bola Tinubu could be voted out in the 2027 election.
In response, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s claims as “politically motivated,” arguing that after holding several high-ranking political positions for over two decades, Amaechi could not credibly claim to be hungry.
On Tuesday, June 3, Abati criticized Wike’s response, describing the FCT Minister as “disrespectful and rude” to political figures who had contributed to his rise in politics.
Reacting to Abati’s stance, Olayinka commended Arise TV management for allegedly excusing Abati from the day’s broadcast due to his own appearance.
“Mr. Reuben Abati is not here today. I wasn’t expecting him, because he has clearly assumed the role of media aide to Rotimi Amaechi,” Olayinka said. “For professionalism’s sake, I didn’t think someone who now acts as Amaechi’s spokesperson should be in the studio to interview me.”
He added, “I watched him recently and was shocked at how he spoke—essentially defending Amaechi. If he has taken up that role, then he should step down from Arise TV and focus on his new job.”
Olayinka also claimed that Abati didn’t seem to find Wike “rude or disrespectful” when he sought his support in the past.
However, co-host Rufai Oseni pushed back against Olayinka’s claims that Abati was sidelined because of his appearance. According to Oseni, Abati was absent from the show due to illness.
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