The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that nobody in the country is above the rule of law, vowing to remain consistent and uncompromising in enforcing the provisions of the law.

Wike, in Abuja yesterday responded to the torrents of reactions trailing his face-off with a naval officer over an alleged land grab by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Gambo.

The minister stated that elder statesmen like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Theophilus Danjuma respectively, have had issues relating to land in Abuja, and reached out to him for solutions.

He noted that if such high network individuals could show respect for lawful institutions and government authorities, then nobody, irrespective of status or class, should disregard or disrespect the rule of law.

According to him, he respects military institutions, but will not tolerate intimidation to succumb to selective enforcement of laws in the nation’s capital. “I respect the military, but the right things must be done.

Society cannot grow if we keep ignoring what’s right,” he stated. The minister stressed that leadership requires tough, sometimes unpopular decisions, noting that there was no way everyone would be happy with a leader’s decisions.

“Governance isn’t about pleasing everyone; it’s about progress,” he stressed. He condemned unwholesome practices, particularly the illegal conversion of public land meant for agriculture and parks into private estates.

Rather than fostering division, the minister advocated for structured conflict resolution. “If there’s an issue, I know where to go, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, or the President. That’s how matters should be addressed, not through misinformation.”