A Shameless Display of Greed and Nepotism: Wike, His Sons, and Lere Olayinka’s Defense of the Indefensible

Wike Dubai Scandal: Outrage as Minister Travels with Sons to Global Summit Amid Economic Hardship

In a fresh reminder of Nigeria’s unending dance with corruption and privilege, Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; has taken his devotion to his boss to disturbing new heights.

On October 28, 2025, Olayinka went on X (formerly Twitter) to defend Wike’s decision to travel with his sons, Andrew and David, to the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai. His post, laced with sarcasm, “When e reach your turn, carry your enemies travel. Hissssssssssssh”; was meant as a clapback to critics. Instead, it exposed the rot of entitlement that defines Nigeria’s political class.

Wike’s appearance in Dubai, flanked by his sons sporting official delegate badges, has sparked national outrage. This wasn’t a harmless family trip, it was a brazen misuse of public privilege. With millions of Nigerians struggling under inflation and hunger, Wike’s family photo-ops outside the Dubai Exhibition Centre felt like a taunt. Under the guise of promoting Abuja’s “smart city” vision, the minister effectively turned a public office into a family enterprise.

Olayinka’s defense was as predictable as it was tone-deaf. The shared images of Wike’s sons parading through the summit reek of entitlement. Neither Andrew nor David Wike holds any public role, nor do they possess the professional experience to justify their inclusion in an international delegation. Their presence was pure nepotism, nothing more than a father’s attempt to pass the privileges of power to his heirs.

Public backlash was immediate. On X, users like @MMBaloo and @DukeofAfrica condemned the Dubai outing as a “state-funded family vacation” and a “mockery of governance.” Others, like @OluomoofDerby, ridiculed the absurdity of politicians’ children globe-trotting while ordinary Nigerians can barely afford transport to work. Even Olayinka wasn’t spared. @Olawoleaa asked why his own children weren’t on similar trips; a rhetorical question that underlined how servility, not merit, earns proximity to power.

As Minister since 2023, Wike has built a reputation for consolidating influence and courting controversy. His “My City” initiative, meant to showcase Abuja as a forward-thinking capital, now looks hollow beside this Dubai fiasco. The estimated cost of flying family and aides across continents; flights, hotels, allowances, remains undisclosed, but the moral price is already clear.

This episode reflects a wider national sickness. Governance has become a family business, and Nigerians have been conditioned to accept it. When officials flaunt privilege this openly, it signals how distant the political elite has drifted from the citizens they claim to serve.

Olayinka’s smug taunt, that critics would behave the same way if given power, captures the cynicism driving Nigeria’s decline. Leadership has become less about service and more about inheritance. Integrity, once a basic expectation, now feels like a relic.

Wike owes Nigerians an explanation, not silence. His sons should not be delegates at taxpayer-funded events. Olayinka should be sanctioned for defending blatant misuse of office. And the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission must investigate whether public funds covered this luxury trip.

Until accountability returns to public life, moments like this will continue to embarrass the nation before the world, a tragic picture of power without restraint.