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Between Wike and Obi, who’s lying to Nigerians, who should be dancing?
Compatriots: How many of you watched the video of Nyesom Wike that trended recently, where he was doing his Jagaban dance, the latest introduction into his new found love for a peculiar genre of music, steeped in mockery and derision?
I’m sure many of you must have seen it. What was your reading of that odd spectacle? Of course I saw that the reactions of Nigerians were captured mostly in a groundswell of disgust, outrage and utter horrification, to what many saw as an eyesore.
Now, looking closely at that video that I saw, did you think our brother, Wike is a happy man as he made out? To me the answer is negative! Instead of happiness, I saw a man in deep pain – deep down inside his soul – deeper than anyone could contemplate. That was how I captured it and that is why, instead of conjuring the feeling of outrage, as some of you felt, mine was pity.
There is nothing as salient, significant and prominent as the Tiny Voice – that voice Jesus Christ described in Revelation 3:20 that continues to knock at the heart of the sinner but which the lures of the world keep pushing back. It is the most devastating phenomenon, especially against wrongdoings and wrongdoors.
Did you really believe that Wike would be blind and impervious to those violent scenes in Rivers State during the 2023 general elections – to those bloodied images in Port Harcourt and other places in the state? Did you really think he has forgotten about them or he would be able to forget? Yes, he may not be the one who harmed those people including the NYSC members. Those arguments could be made in his favour. But he was in charge and responsible either directly or vicariously and as it has now turned out a direct beneficiary.
So, the dancing you see couldn’t be anything else than a smokescreen to cover the deep state of unhappiness beneath the apparent show of enjoyment. That tiny voice is the nemesis of every human being. Worse still, it is an adversary to the evil-door – an eternal, mortal enemy that must be suppressed at all cost, but which those who attempt to, no matter how much they tried find the effort to suppress it ending in futility.
Or why do you think criminals are usually high on external substances? They smoke and drink all sorts of things to be high enough to suppress that voice. Yes, that armed robber who kills the child of the woman, who spent 10 years in search of a baby or rapes her while her husband is either crouching somewhere in fear or is compelled to watch the eerie scene, must thereafter empty the proceeds of that evil escapades on hard liquor and drugs. You see them dancing in clubs and pubs ordering everything with reckless abandon in smoke-filled rooms amid skimpy-clad women, but how would you know that the entire show is a façade – a farcical display in their inner struggle for elusive peace.
Yes, Wike did not rob anybody. Nobody saw him with a gun anywhere. He was not even among those men in police uniform, who were captured in several videos in the state carting away ballot boxes. So, nobody could rightly accuse him of such outlandish brigandage outside the fact that it happened under his nose and he was therefore liable one way or the other. But that should be enough for every human with a soul, willy-nilly.
Outside this, I also saw a Wike that is desperately seeking to prove to the world that he is part of the inner cabinet of President Bola Tinubu. Yes, much as he delivered Rivers to the APC as a PDP governor, and has been rewarded for it, it has not made him a Tinubu Boy proper. Everyone knows those that are qualified to wear that tag. He’s still very much an outsider per se.
My reading is therefore that the Jagaban Dance is another smokescreen – another make-belief to hoodwink the uninitiated to think him a crocodile instead of the lizard he really is in the Tinubu camp.
For one, a word from one or two of the true Tinubu Boys could end his show. So, the way to go about it is to make such a video, not only to prove to outsiders that he really belongs, but to further push towards worming himself into the camp and be accepted as part of it.
How successful this turns out, would have to be seen in future. For one, Tinubu is not a fool. He knows a Wike who betrayed the PDP because he lost his presidential bid could also betray anyone including himself if Come, comes to become, as the politicians put it. If he doesn’t know that, then he’s not worth the accolades that come with that name as the wise man of the Nigerian politics.
You may also have listened to the same Wike attacking Peter Obi and calling him a liar. You could feel the bile from the texture of his words. And what was Obi’s sin? He suggested that instead of spending a whopping N15billion for the completion of the official residence of the Vice President in Abuja, it should be used to uplift the condition of suffering Nigerians, especially as he already has a home in the city. That was all!
Now, compatriots, I bid you listen to the two, and determine who is actually lying and has the interest of Nigerians at heart from the statements of the two.
First, hear Obi: “Even as I am still studying the 2024 fiscal budget as presented to the National Assembly last week, I cannot wait as I am compelled to ask what is exactly wrong with us as a country. I ask this question because it is hard for me to understand some of the recent happenings in our nation in these critical times.
“The recent news about a budget provision of N15 billion for the construction of a new residence for the Vice President is both shocking and disheartening, considering the many important challenges facing our nation.
“Just recently, in the Supplementary Budget, the sum of N2.5 billion was included for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Abuja, which means that he already has a residence.
“Our health facilities have collapsed, and unemployment is skyrocketing. I am convinced that 99.9% of Nigerians can only dream of living in the current residence of the Vice President. This is the finance needed to develop the much-needed human capital.
“The budget of N5 billion for student loans, which is yet to be disbursed, is only a tiny percentage of the cost of the Vice President’s new home. I am sure the major teaching hospitals in Nsukka, Lagos, Ibadan, and Zaria did not receive this much capital vote in the budget this year.
“Our leaders must therefore stop the recklessness and insensitivity to the plight of the masses. We need leaders who show compassion and are willing to sacrifice for common progress and development. Such compassionate and frugal leaders are critical in our journey to the New Nigeria.”
Wike: “People should commend the administration and not make statements, blackmailing and telling the public lies, just like they told that they won an election when they never won any election.
“Nigerians know those who won elections through the electorate. Nigerians know those who won the election through social media. Let them continue to tell lies.”
“We have taken a decision to make sure that we will do the best for the people, as mandated by President Bola Tinubu. In the policies you make, it may not favour so many people. But what is important is if the generality of people, and not some people who benefit at the detriment of others.
“When you bring a policy that will bring change, so many people will kick against it. The few who benefit will kick against it. But when you are focused, they have no choice but to align themselves with the policies of the government…Let me tell Nigerians: you must commend the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigerians forget easily. As the time we came onboard, all the contractors abandoned their work. Today, you can see that all the contactors have returned to site.”
Of course in Nigeria, whenever the opposition camp complains or raises issues against a sitting government, it is because those in the camp are either jealous or in pain over election loss. That is why Wike is telling Obi to congratulate Tinubu today, even with all the current hardship in the country.
The NPN, during their days of landslide victories, similarly dismissed Zik and Awo with the same mantra. Chuba Okadigbo, reeling in the euphoria of the moment, even went as far as describing Zik’s protest as the “ranting of an ant,” the infamous statement he lived to regret long after for the rest of his days on earth.
In recent years, the PDP was no less facetious, dismissing of every complaint in similar manner. In the days of Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years of the locust, every discontent by Nigerians is either read as corruption fighting back, hatred for the President or songs of Wailing Wailers, a la, Femi Adesina, his spokesman.
One thing Wike was right about though, is that Between him and Obi, Nigerians know who is lying. If I may add, Nigerians also know, between him and Obi, who is happy and who is in pain, who sleeps soundly at night and who’s sleep needs to be induced!
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Why Prominent Individuals Pay Premium for Online Credibility in the Digital Age – Ayobami Eruobami
As the global economy becomes increasingly digital, Eruobami Ayobami, Chairman of Erumedia Group & Charity Trust who also doubled as the founder of Pressford , has shared a bold perspective on the rising demand for online credibility and why individuals are now investing significantly to build it.
In a world dominated by platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, first impressions are no longer made in rooms but on screens.
“Credibility today is no longer something people wait to discover about you. It is something they search for instantly,” Ayobami stated. “If your digital presence does not validate your value, you are already at a disadvantage.”
This shift has transformed credibility into a high value digital asset one that professionals, founders, and public figures are now actively building through media exposure, strategic storytelling, and search visibility.
Erumedia Group: Building the Narrative Behind Credibility
As a Public Relations, communications and media company, www.erumediagroup.com focuses on shaping the foundation of credibility helping individuals and organizations define, structure, and communicate their stories with clarity and authority.
“Before visibility comes narrative. Many people struggle not because they lack value, but because they lack structured positioning,” Ayobami explained. “At Erumedia Group, we help clients refine their voice, their message, and the way they are perceived before they ever go public.”
Through brand development, storytelling strategy, and reputation positioning, the company ensures that credibility is not just visible but meaningful and consistent.
Pressford: Distributing Credibility at Scale
While narrative builds the core, Pressford plays a different role amplification.
As a press release distribution and digital PR platform, Pressford enables individuals and organizations to translate their credibility into verifiable public presence across media channels.
“Pressford exists because credibility must not only be built it must be seen, indexed, and validated publicly,” Ayobami said. “It gives individuals the infrastructure to show up in search results, in news mentions, and in conversations that matter.”
By making media visibility more accessible, Pressford addresses one of the biggest gaps in the digital credibility cycle: discoverability.
The Business of Being Seen
Ayobami notes that the increasing willingness to pay for credibility is not driven by vanity, but by necessity.
“Opportunities today are often given to those who appear prepared, visible, and validated. The market responds to perception before it investigates performance,” he stated.
However, he also warns against mistaking visibility for substance.
“If credibility is only built on aesthetics without real value behind it, it will fail. The goal is not to look credible it is to be credible and ensure that credibility is visible.”
A Shift That Cannot Be Ignored
As digital ecosystems continue to shape human interaction and business decisions, Ayobami believes the importance of intentional credibility building will only grow stronger.
“The future belongs to individuals who understand that credibility is not accidental. It is designed, positioned, and distributed,” he concluded.
Eruobami Ayobami is a Professional Public Relations Executive, Media Entrepreneur, Personal Brandinf Expert and communications strategist.
He Chairs Erumedia Group and Charity Trust and Founded Pressford. His work focuses on helping individuals and organizations build, structure, and amplify their digital credibility.
From Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s former President, came a mild rebuke to Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, who in assessing the quality of his six-year tenure as Nigerian leader, all but dismissed him as “inexperienced.”
Atiku, a guest of Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Television, last week, told his host that Jonathan was inexperienced, saying his tenure was marked by notable missteps.
“I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but also inexperienced, and I believe that contributed to his inability to manage the affairs of the country, particularly when he was faced with challenges,” Atiku, currently chasing the number one job the former President exited in 2015 for the seventh time, said.
But in a measured riposte at the 2025 Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria awards ceremony in Abuja on Monday, Jonathan, while acknowledging that he must have made some mistakes, argued that errors were inevitably with human beings as only God could be perfect,
Reacting to Atiku’s remarks, he told his audience: “So not too long ago, a very senior politician said, ‘Oh, Jonathan was too young and probably that’s why he made mistakes.’
“If I made mistakes, yes, nobody who becomes a governor or a president will say you did not make mistakes. Even when you promote yourself to the level of a god, you become a deity.
“All human beings must make mistakes. I became president in 2010 at the age of 53. I left in 2015 at the age of 58, and they say I was too young. Must it have been 100 years before I ran the affairs of the state?
“I’m talking to diplomats, so I can say that during my period, I knew what I did for us to appear in the UN Security Council two times… If I were so naive, I don’t think I would have been able to navigate through that process.”
Jonathan also spoke on regional affairs, warning that political instability remains a major obstacle to economic growth across West Africa. He stressed that without stable governance systems, meaningful development in the sub-region would remain elusive.
“We cannot progress economically if we are very unstable societies politically,” he said.
Jonathan noted that while the founders of ECOWAS envisioned strong economic cooperation, persistent political crises have hindered progress, particularly in enforcing democratic standards among member states.
“That means that ECOWAS must interfere with the internal affairs of the states, and the issue of sovereignty becomes a problem,” he said.
Jonathan urged leaders in the region to work collectively towards stability, saying, “The heads of states of ECOWAS must continue to work together and agree on concrete terms and make sure that the sub-region is politically stable.”
He added that economic integration efforts would falter without solid democratic institutions and called on Nigerian diplomats to properly document foreign policy experiences for future leaders.
Paying tribute to ECOWAS founders, including former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, Jonathan described the creation of the bloc in 1975 as a bold and necessary step toward regional unity and economic integration.
Gowon, who was also honoured at the event, recounted the origins of ECOWAS, linking its formation to post-war diplomatic engagements across West Africa.
According to him, “It was as a result of the various efforts of all Nigerians when we went through a very difficult period, and I had to go to the various countries to say thank you.”
He said discussions with regional leaders at the time led to a shared vision for broader cooperation.
“Why don’t we also think about having something that we can at least have in agreement for all of us when we are working together?” he said.
Gowon emphasised that ECOWAS was the product of collective effort rather than individual ambition, crediting government institutions and civil servants for its success.
“This would not have been possible without the support of all the staff of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development,” he stated.
He added that the recognition bestowed on him should be shared widely.
“The honour that is being done to me today should really go back to all the staff that worked so hard to make sure that this became a reality,” he said.
Also speaking, the President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, Joe Keshi, highlighted the importance of honouring excellence in diplomacy, noting that the awards celebrate dedication and service to Nigeria and the continent.
“Diplomacy is one profession where success is often invisible, reflected not by news coverage, but by maintained stability, prevented conflicts, cultivated partnerships,” he said.
Keshi noted that the event coincides with the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS, describing the organisation as “a bold experiment in regionalism,” and urged diplomats to adapt to evolving global challenges.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Shaibu, also praised Gowon, describing him as a symbol of national unity and visionary leadership.
He said the recognition offers a chance to reflect on a legacy “defined by visionary leadership, courage, and unwavering commitment to the unity, stability, peace, and progress” of Nigeria.
Shaibu added that Gowon’s leadership reflected “patriotism, resilience, and a profound sense of duty,” while commending ARCAN for its continued contribution to diplomatic discourse and Nigeria’s global engagement.
After months of official hiatus, the Federal Government, on Tuesday finally got on the way with the trial of those fingered in the alleged plot to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through a coup, including Timipre Sylva, former Minister of State for Petroleum.
The move, which apart from the former Governor of Bayelsa State, came with the filing of a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the alleged plotters including Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, a retired General in the Nigerian Army, Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired Naval Captain, Ahmed Ibrahim, a serving police inspector, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Sylva, whose name surfaced as one of the plotters when the news first broke and believed to be the major financier of what would have led to another military government in Nigeria after the last ended in 1999, was listed as being at large – on the run.
The charge, filed on Monday by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), accuses the defendants of offences ranging from alleged treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired in 2025 “to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others, but failed to alert authorities.
Furthermore, the defendants were also accused, according to the charge, of, while “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President… or a peace officer.”
They were also accused of failing to take preventive steps and “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence”.
Beyond treason, the defendants are facing terrorism-related charges of conspiracy under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The charge also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.
The prosecution alleged deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism but failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable”.
Financially, several defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing”, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2m from a similar source.
According to the charge, Zekeri Umoru “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000″ and also retained an additional N8.8m suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of “the sum of N1,000,000, being part of proceeds of terrorism financing”.
Alleged Coup Plot, Protests
After the Federal Government cancelled the parade to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary on October 1, 2025, reports had claimed that the move was linked to an alleged coup attempt.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the claims, however, saying the parade cancellation had nothing to do with the alleged coup attempt.
In January 2026, the DHQ confirmed that there was an attempt to overthrow President Tinubu.
The DHQ Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, said investigations showed some military personnel were involved in the alleged coup plot.
According to Uba, the officers have been detained and would be arraigned before military judicial panels.
Last month, families of the military officers detained over the alleged coup plot appealed to Tinubu to allow the suspects to be tried in an open court.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore protested alongside the detained officers’ families. They also asked for access to the alleged coup plotters.
Why Prominent Individuals Pay Premium for Online Credibility in the Digital Age – Ayobami Eruobami
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