Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed criticism following flooding in parts of Abuja after a heavy downpour on Saturday, arguing that flooding in the nation’s capital predates the minister’s tenure.
In a statement titled “Deji Adeyanju and his Gang of Flooded Brains” on Monday, Olayinka accused lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju of using the incident to attack the FCT Administration.
Olayinka said the heavy rainfall caused flooding in some parts of Abuja, but the water later receded.
He said the FCT Administration was aware of the challenge and was taking steps to prevent future occurrences.
According to him, it was misleading to suggest that Wike had “destroyed Abuja” because of the latest flooding.
“It is funny that characters like this Online Baseless Lawyer, who is always looking for attention, has been shouting ‘WIKE HAS DESTROYED ABUJA’ since yesterday, as if last Saturday was the first time some areas in Abuja got flooded,” Olayinka said.
He questioned whether Wike could be held responsible for flooding recorded in the capital before he became FCT minister.
“When there was flood in Abuja in 2019, as reported in the media, was it Wike that caused it?” he asked.
Olayinka said parts of Wuse, Jabi and Lokogoma were flooded following heavy rainfall in 2019, while similar incidents occurred in Lokogoma, Efab Estate, Gudu and connecting bridges in 2022.
“Sad reality is that Abuja has been witnessing floods long before Wike assumed office,” he said.
The FCT official described Saturday’s flooding as “another reminder of the seasonal reality of a rapidly expanding city with drainage infrastructure, waste management and enforcement of planning rules not keeping pace with growth”.
He also blamed the activities of scavengers who allegedly remove drainage covers, leaving drains exposed to refuse.
“It is also a pointer to damages being caused by scavengers who are daily stealing drainage covers, thereby exposing the drainage to refuse,” he said.
Olayinka said the FCT Administration was already reviewing the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to accommodate the changing realities of the capital city.
He added that the administration was also using drainage covers designed to make them difficult for scavengers to remove.
On Adeyanju, Olayinka also alleged that the lawyer had previously defended a person who constructed a school and church on land granted for recreational purposes.
He questioned Adeyanju’s understanding of Abuja’s urban planning challenges, describing him as an “Online Baseless Lawyer”.
“But can an Online Baseless Lawyer, who studied LATE NIGHT LAW understand this? I don’t think so,” Olayinka said.
He maintained that the latest flooding should be viewed within the broader challenges created by Abuja’s rapid expansion, rather than attributed solely to the current FCT Administration.
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