Controversy erupted online Tuesday after a former classmate of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, accused him of fabricating stories about his student life at the University of Port Harcourt.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Allen Wogu challenged Wike’s claim that he drove a Mercedes-Benz while studying political science and education in the late 1980s.
“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I wonder how someone who has classmates who, by God’s grace, are alive would come on national television and claim he was driving a Mercedes Benz car between 1986 and 1990 in the University of Port Harcourt, where he studied political science/education,” Wogu wrote. “Jesus Christ, please have mercy. This guy wore sandals with buckles and never rode on a bicycle throughout our 4-year sojourn, and I have over 4000 witnesses. So this is how he has been lying? Too shocked here.”
The viral post was shared by human rights lawyer and former NHRC Chairman Chidi Odinkalu, who added a stinging caption calling Wike a “#DrunkenGlutton” and referencing his political flamboyance.
Social media users quickly joined the fray, with many mocking Wike’s alleged self-aggrandizement. One user, @Tonie_leo, quipped, “Did Wike say that he was riding a Mercedes Benz car physically while he was studying at the University of Port Harcourt? The man was riding the car in his mind.”
Another commenter, @D_BenofBenJosh, dismissed the minister’s credibility outright, saying, “There is absolutely nothing noble nor principle-wise about Nyesom Wike, just political toutISM here and there. Finish.”
While some users joked about Wike’s supposed luxury lifestyle as a student, others pointed to a pattern of dishonesty in the political class. “They learned it from their Oga on top now. Someone has been telling lies since 1999, and nothing happened to him,” wrote @AAdekolurejo.
