N1.92bn–N3.84bn, FCT residents deserve to know – Atiku’s aide exposes cost of Wike’s media parley

Paul Ibe, media aide to African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has questioned the cost of the monthly media parley of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, estimating that the broadcasts could cost between N1.92 billion and N3.84 billion annually.

Ibe made the claim in a Facebook post on Tuesday, following Wike’s live media parley in Abuja, which featured several television and broadcast outlets.

According to Ibe, at least eight stations, including Arise News, Channels Television, TVC, News Central, AIT, JDK, Aso TV and Radio, and ADBN, covered the minister’s media engagement.

He estimated that, at a rate of N10 million to N20 million per station for one hour, a two-hour broadcast across the eight outlets could cost between N160 million and N320 million per session.

Ibe further calculated that, if the media parley were held monthly at the same estimated rates, the annual expenditure could range from N1.92 billion to N3.84 billion.

However, he did not provide invoices or documentary evidence to establish the actual amounts paid to the stations.

The aide to the former vice president called on Wike to disclose the cost of the broadcasts, the stations paid, the sources of funding and the relevant budget lines.

He argued that FCT residents deserved to know how public funds were being spent, particularly whether the media engagements focused on the minister’s performance and development projects in Abuja.

“There is nothing wrong with a minister explaining his stewardship. But public resources must serve public purposes, not personal political battles,” Ibe wrote.

He also criticised what he described as the minister’s focus on political disagreements with Atiku, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and opposition parties, including the ADC and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Ibe maintained that the FCT Administration should prioritise issues such as roads, water supply, schools, hospitals, sanitation and security.

He urged Wike to publish the invoices and disclose payments made to the broadcast stations to enable residents to assess the expenditure.

The figures cited by Ibe were based on his estimated per-station broadcast rates and the duration of the programmes. The actual cost of the media parley was not established in his post.