The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has urged Nigerian universities to study how Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ended up serving in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, despite belonging to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Okay.ng reports that the monarch made this remark on Thursday at the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture held at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, where Wike served as the keynote speaker.
“For your career, I will particularly say that I give a very strong honour to the father of the nation, President Bola Tinubu. You belong to a different political party and yet are able to work together,” the Ooni said.
“You are part of this government. It is still a mystery. I don’t even know how it happened. For me, it is something that universities should be studying and I mean it. It’s very important.”
Describing Wike as a political force whose career deserves deeper understanding, the monarch added: “Hate him or like him, what will be, will be. He (Wike) is a politician to be studied. I don’t know how he’s been actively relevant for 20 years.”
He noted that while Wike may have his detractors, his fearlessness has earned him widespread respect across political lines.
