A former presidential aspirant and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has praised President Bola Tinubu for schooling the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on how to separate public office from personal aggrandisement.

Momodu, the publisher of celebrity magazine, Ovation, in a post on his X handle, stated: “We used to think we had two Presidents in Nigeria, Tinubu and Wike. Now, we know Wike has a boss who can checkmate his excesses.”

The FCT minister on Monday locked up the premises of some organisations, including the PDP and Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), for allegedly defaulting in the payment of ground rent for their office headquarters in Abuja.

In apparent censure for the rash decision, President Tinubu had intervened on behalf of the affected organisation, grating them the legal fourteen days’ notice to regularise their accounts with the FCT authorities.

Elated by President Tinubu’s reprieve, Momodu, messaged the President, saying, “I have just read the news here in America that you have stepped into the matter of your cantankerous Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, who sealed the National Secretariat of the PDP, the biggest rival of your ruling party, APC, and properties of other defaulters in Abuja earlier today.

“While no one should condone non-compliance of government obligations, government must always restrain itself from vindictive outbursts such as that of Nigeria’s most querulous politician, who I’m sure is fast becoming a liability to your government. The decision to stop Wike today achieved several points in your favour.”

The PDP chieftain stated that a lot of people used to think that there were two Presidents in Nigeria, noting, “Now, we know that Wike has a boss, who can checkmate his excesses.

“How I wished you had stopped his reckless disruption and distraction of the Sim Fubara government in Rivers State and saved the hapless people from this unfortunate contraption called emergency rule.”

While thanking the President for his timely intervention, Momodu declared: “Nigerians are currently going through so much hardship and pain and you need to rescue them from Wike’s additional burden and insults.

“Wike’s assignments are far smaller than that of Minister Dave Umahi, yet the man is so humble while Wike subjects Nigerians to his tautological press conferences as if he’s running his own federal government and not under anyone’s control.

“Sir, there can’t be two Captains in one ship and I hope Wike got that message loud and clear from your powerful intervention today.”