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False! Wike not first Southerner appointed FCT Minister

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Claim: Multiple Facebook users address Nyesom Wike as “the first-ever southerner” to be appointed as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

False! Wike not first Southerner appointed FCT Minister

Verdict: The claim is false. Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, from Lagos State, had previously held the position from 1976 to 1979.

Full Text

Forty-five ministers were recently sworn in to begin work with President Bola Tinubu’s led administration. Among them is Nyesom Wike, who got a portfolio as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Wike previously served as governor of Rivers State. In 2022, he contested for the People’s Democratic Party presidential ticket but lost to Atiku Abubakar.

After this appointment, social media users flocked to their Facebook profiles to applaud Mr Wike, asserting he is the first individual from the southern region to be appointed to such a position. Such instances are found here, here, here, here, here and here

Conversely, another Facebook user, Obiorah Momife, made a post that countered the circulating version.

“Wike is not the first southerner to be a minister of Abuja. Mark Emeka Okoye was Minister of FCT in 1981,” he wrote.

Due to their rapid circulation and the significant potential for misinformation, DUBAWA opted to scrutinise these claims.

Verification

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was formed in 1976 to function as the administrative territory of Nigeria. In contrast to most Nigerian states, which have elected Governors, the Federal Capital Territory is governed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, led by a minister appointed by the president.

The position of a Minister for the FCT differs from that of the Minister of State for the FCT. While the former holds a higher-ranking position and has more significant responsibilities in governing and managing the Federal Capital Territory, the latter serves in a supportive role.

To set the records straight, DUBAWA first checked the claim that Mark Emeka Okoye was Minister of FCT in 1981 and discovered that it was inaccurate. Instead, he was Nigeria’s Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory between 1981 and 1984.

We conducted a keyword search on Google, revealing a recent press release by the State House, Abuja, titled “President Tinubu Mourns Exit of Chief Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, First FCT Minister.” This was further republished by Premium Times newspaper, affirming that Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun was the first Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), appointed by the General Murtala Mohammed military government. He served from 1976 till 1979.

Furthermore, we found a post by Reno Omokri on Facebook, which explained this subject. His post could have been more accurate as he claimed that Olusegun Obasanjo, a fellow southerner, appointed the first Minister Ajose-Adeogun.

Is Wike the first Minister of FCT from the South?

We found another Premium Times’ article that explained the significance of Mr Wike’s appointment. Therein, it was noted that Mr Wike is the second person from Southern Nigeria to be appointed to administer the FCT since its creation.

Likewise, DUBAWA independently examined the list of other ministers who have held the position after Mr Ajose-Adeogun, who was from Lagos state.

Here is what we found:

Name of Minister TenureState
John Jatau Kadiya1979-1982Plateau
Iro Abubakar Dan Musa1982-1983Katsina
Haliru Dantoro1983-1983Niger
Mamman Jiya Vatsa1984-1985Niger
Hamza Abdullahi1986-1989Kano
Gado Nasko1989-1993Niger
Jeremiah Timbut Useni1993-1998Plateau
Mamman Kontagora1998-1999Niger state
Ibrahim Bunu1999-2001Borno
Mohammed Abba Gana2001-2003Borno
Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai2003-2007Kaduna
Aliyu Modibbo Umar2007-2008Gombe
Muhammadu Adamu Aliero2008-2010Kebbi
Bala Mohammed2010-2015Bauchi
Mohammed Musa Bello2015-2023Adamawa 
Nyeson Wike2023-presentRivers

Conclusion

Our findings invalidated the claim that Mr Wike is the first individual from the Southern region of Nigeria to be appointed Minister of FCT. Mr Ajose-Adeogun, from Lagos, had previously held this position in 1976.

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