Atiku’s Aide Challenges Wike to Disclose Cost of Media Broadcasts

Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to disclose the cost and funding sources of live broadcasts of his media engagements.

Ibe made the call in a post on X on Tuesday, following Wike’s media parley in Abuja, which was broadcast by several television and radio stations.

He questioned how much was spent on the broadcasts, estimating that airtime could cost between N10 million and N20 million per station per hour. Based on his calculation, eight stations broadcasting a two-hour programme could amount to between N160 million and N320 million per session.

Ibe further estimated that if 12 such sessions were held monthly, the total expenditure could range from N1.92 billion to N3.84 billion. However, the figures were estimates provided by Ibe and have not been independently verified.

The former vice-president’s aide argued that Wike’s media engagements should give greater attention to infrastructure development and public services in the FCT rather than political disagreements with opposition figures and groups.

“FCT residents deserve to know how much is being spent on these broadcasts and how much airtime is devoted to FCT development, rather than Wike’s political disagreements with Atiku, Amaechi, Obi, ADC and NDC,” Ibe stated.

He called on the minister to publish invoices and provide details of the broadcast stations involved, the amounts paid, the sources of funding and the relevant budgetary provisions.

“Minister Wike, publish the invoices. Identify the stations paid, the amounts, the funding sources and the relevant budget lines,” he wrote.

Ibe maintained that FCT residents had a right to know whether public funds were used to finance the broadcasts and, if so, the budgetary provisions under which the expenditure was approved.

“The FCT treasury is not Wike’s personal political broadcasting account. Public office is not a licence to convert public funds into private political publicity,” he added.

The demand followed Wike’s media parley in Abuja, during which the minister discussed projects undertaken by his administration and expressed support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election. Ibe’s call centres on transparency over the cost of the broadcasts and whether any public expenditure on them was properly authorised.