Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has addressed the recent confrontation between his principal and a naval officer, A.M. Yarima, in Abuja.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Olayinka stated that subordinates are not obliged to obey every order from a superior, especially those that contradict the law.
He emphasised that only directives consistent with the rule of law should be followed.
According to him, discipline within the military should never supersede legality.
“Not all orders are meant to be obeyed simply because they come from your superior,” he said. “Only lawful orders should be carried out.”
“We got what happened yesterday because of the way we operate in this country. Zero attitude to compliance. That’s what we are and it is painful.”
His comments came in response to Tuesday’s viral incident involving Minister Wike and some naval officers at a disputed property in Abuja.
The FCT Minister had reportedly led officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to stop what he described as an illegal construction project.
However, military personnel guarding the area allegedly resisted, leading to a heated exchange that was captured on video and widely circulated online.