According to Dailypost, Lere Olayinka, who serves as the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the widely circulated obituary image of his principal as a deliberate act of misinformation.
Recently, speculation emerged indicating that Wike collapsed during an event in Abuja, with certain social media users spreading claims of his demise. Platforms like TikTok and X were flooded with posts sharing the alleged obituary photo, further fueling the rumors.
Contrary to these claims, Wike made a public appearance on Sunday, leading a delegation of FCT community leaders on a Sallah visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House. His presence at the event directly contradicted the unfounded reports of his health crisis.
Reacting to the controversy, Olayinka took to his official X handle to criticize those behind the misleading narrative. He accused a prominent Nigerian actress, Hilda Dokubo, of being financially motivated to fabricate the story of Wike’s collapse.
According to Olayinka, certain individuals orchestrated the spread of the obituary image and associated rumors as part of a broader agenda. He pointed out that the goal was to mislead Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara into believing Wike was incapacitated. Additionally, he claimed that rituals were allegedly performed to lend credibility to the fabricated story.
Olayinka further insinuated that both Dokubo and another political figure, Ikenga Ugochinyere, had deceived Fubara for personal gain. He mocked the situation, implying that those who financed the narrative had been misled by individuals who took advantage of the political tension.