Following Standarddailpress’ explosive revelation that the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has widened the rift between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, Wike’s team has strongly denied the claims. Amupitan, from Kogi State, was unanimously approved by the Council of State on Thursday to replace Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure recently ended.
According to standarddailpress, Wike was allegedly angered by Tinubu’s decision to overlook his preferred candidate, Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman of the Court of Appeal, and was said to have boycotted the Council of State meeting, sending his Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, to represent him. But Wike’s aide, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the report, arguing on Facebook that Wike “is not a member of the Council of State” and therefore could not have boycotted a meeting he was not part of.
However, a new video obtained by standarddailpress appears to contradict this claim. The footage from a road construction flag-off in Katampe District shows Bunkure leaving the event midway after Wike instructed her to attend the Council of State meeting at the State House. The compère, veteran broadcaster Eugenia Abu, even confirmed this on stage, noting that Bunkure left early on Wike’s orders.
The controversy adds another layer to Wike’s mounting political troubles. His fallout with President Tinubu reportedly began after activist Omoyele Sowore exposed his undeclared real estate assets in Florida, USA — revelations that rattled his inner circle and prompted a quiet reassessment of his role within the administration. Despite attempts to reassert control, including efforts to influence the INEC appointment, sources say Tinubu has grown wary of Wike’s unpredictable political style.
Insiders allege that the President’s decision to back Amupitan was a calculated move to sideline Wike and reaffirm his authority. The episode, marked by denials, leaked videos, and claims of high-level manipulation, underscores the deepening mistrust within Tinubu’s circle — a political drama that continues to unfold with every revelation.
