Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has become a trending topic on social media after his wife, Eberechi, approached him on stage during a public lecture, adjusted his cap, wiped sweat from his face, and whispered words of encouragement, saying, 'You are doing very well.'
Wike's Wife Steals the Spotlight at UNIPORT Convocation Lecture
The incident occurred on Saturday, June 6, while Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, was delivering a guest lecture titled 'Leadership and Infrastructure Development in Nigeria: Lessons for Future Leaders' at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). Eberechi Wike walked up to the podium and performed the affectionate gesture, which was captured on video and shared widely online.
The video, posted by Wike's media aide, Lere Olayinka, on his social media page, quickly went viral. Olayinka captioned the post: 'That moment, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike's wife adjusted his cap, cleaned the sweat from his face, and told him, "You are doing very well," while delivering the UNIPORT 36th Convocation Lecture.'
Mixed Reactions from Nigerians
The video has sparked a wave of reactions from Nigerians, with some praising the couple's display of affection and others criticizing it as inappropriate for a formal setting. Below are some of the comments from social media users:
Temitope praised the couple: 'A man who couldn't inspire the followership of his own wife wants me to follow him. Look at Wike here, even Wike as rough-spoken as he is. Look how his beautiful wife adores him.'
Donpanacio commended the FCT Minister: 'You know a great man through his wife! How long have they been together and still in love with respect, and how high does the husband want his wife to go in life! If a man says he is great, ask him "Who is your wife?" then you can decide how great he is!'
Humbletunde compared Wike's situation to that of a presidential aspirant: 'One presidential aspirant's wife is abroad flexing, leaving only her husband to carry his cross, but she will become the first lady if her husband emerges. Ko le werk.'
Kay2flux1 criticized the minister: 'Nigerians are not serious people. This is an important thing; you can't just come out in public and be doing this kind of rubbish in an important place like here. We play too much in this country, and people are actually commending this rubbish. Why am I a Nigerian?'
Blessing Vincent argued that the moment should not be applauded: 'Things should be done with decorum. Why is he moving around, cleaning his head, while he's delivering a speech? You won't see that anywhere else in the world, yet people will still applaud this.'
Wike's Recent Political Remarks
In related news, Legit.ng reported that Nyesom Wike recently criticized Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) for the 2027 election, accusing him of lacking political courage. Wike, during an interview on Monday, June 1, emphasized that leadership requires confronting and solving existing problems. His remarks came in response to Obi's political trajectory, which has seen him move from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), and now the NDC.
