Journalist and Arise News anchor, Reuben Abati, has strongly denied a series of allegations made against him by Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Olayinka had, during an appearance on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday, accused Abati of previously soliciting financial assistance from Wike, and made other claims relating to the journalist’s professional conduct and alleged entanglements with anti-graft authorities.
In a detailed statement posted on social media Saturday, Abati categorically dismissed the accusations, calling them “false, defamatory, and politically motivated.”
“I have never approached Minister Nyesom Wike to beg for money that is a lie,” Abati wrote.
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“If anyone, including a former associate, has ever misrepresented me in such a manner, they acted entirely without my knowledge or consent. Such behaviour would amount to fraud, and I fully support the Minister’s right to condemn such actions.”
Addressing another claim, Abati insisted that he was never asked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return any funds and that, contrary to Olayinka’s assertion, the agency had, under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu, issued him an apology.
Abati, a former presidential spokesman, also refuted claims that he had any association with former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, stating clearly: “I am not Amaechi’s spokesperson. I do not even have his phone number.”
Responding to the assertion that he was removed from Friday’s broadcast of The Morning Show due to internal disciplinary action, Abati clarified that he had been scheduled to attend a literary event the launch of Oprah Benson: Live and Legend, a 550-page book authored by Dr. Udu Yakubu.
While his colleague, Rufai Oseni, had mentioned on air that Abati was “indisposed,” Abati said he would not engage in speculation over the wording used and expressed full confidence in the professionalism of his co-hosts, Oseni and Vimbai Mutinhiri.
Standing by his previous comments in which he described Minister Wike as “rude,” Abati reaffirmed his stance, noting: “Wike is a public officeholder and must be open to scrutiny. My analysis remains rooted in fact and professional ethics.”
On a separate issue raised by Olayinka relating to the late Senator Buruji Kashamu, Abati noted: “The allegations against Kashamu were never proven in any court of law. Until his death, he remained unconvicted. It is unethical and distasteful to malign the dead using unsubstantiated claims.”
Concluding his statement, Abati expressed gratitude to his family and colleagues for their support, singling out his wife, Kikelomo Atanda-Owo Abati, for her unwavering encouragement during the controversy.
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