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The media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has fired back at lawyer and social commentator Deji Adeyanju over his criticism of the minister following the flooding witnessed in parts of Abuja after Saturday’s heavy rainfall.
Olayinka described Adeyanju’s comments as an attempt to exploit the flooding for political attention, insisting that flooding in the Federal Capital Territory did not begin with Wike’s administration.
Adeyanju had, in posts on his verified X handle, accused Wike of destroying Abuja, alleging that the capital had become “stinking and flooded” because of what he described as “one man’s greed.”
He also questioned the alleged allocation of canals and waterways to politicians for estate development, saying Maitama and other parts of Abuja had been flooded.
But responding on Monday, Olayinka challenged Adeyanju to explain why similar flooding incidents recorded in Abuja before Wike became FCT Minister were not attributed to him.
Olayinka recalled that heavy rainfall had flooded parts of Wuse, Jabi and Lokogoma in 2019, while similar flooding occurred in Lokogoma, Efab Estate, Gudu and adjoining bridges in 2022.
He said: “Sad reality is that Abuja has been witnessing floods long before Wike assumed office.”
According to him, the flooding recorded last Saturday was another indication of the pressure being placed on Abuja’s infrastructure by the rapid expansion of the city.
He said drainage infrastructure, waste management and enforcement of planning regulations had not kept pace with the growth of the capital.
Olayinka also blamed the activities of scavengers who, he alleged, routinely remove drainage covers, leaving the channels exposed to refuse and contributing to blockages.
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He said the FCT Administration was already taking steps to address the challenge, including a review of the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to reflect the current realities of the nation’s capital.
Olayinka added that the administration was also deploying drainage covers designed to make them more difficult for scavengers to remove.
He therefore dismissed Adeyanju’s criticism of Wike as an oversimplification of a problem that has existed in Abuja for years.
Turning his criticism directly at Adeyanju, Olayinka described him as an “online baseless lawyer” and questioned his understanding of the complexities surrounding urban planning and the management of a rapidly expanding capital city.
He also accused Adeyanju of inconsistency, recalling his past defence of a property developer who, according to him, built a school and church on land granted for recreational purposes.
Olayinka said Adeyanju had previously defended the development despite the alleged breach of the land-use purpose.
The minister’s aide maintained that rather than politicising every incident of flooding, attention should be focused on the structural challenges confronting Abuja, including drainage capacity, indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal development and the need to update the city’s planning framework.
He said the latest flooding was not proof that Wike had “destroyed Abuja,” but a reminder of the urgent need to adapt the capital’s infrastructure and planning systems to its rapid growth.
The war of words between Olayinka and Adeyanju comes as the latest flooding has reignited debate over drainage infrastructure, development around waterways and the enforcement of Abuja’s Master Plan.
