EXCLUSIVE: FCT Minister Nyesom Wike Secretly Flies to UK for Medical Care, Four Years After Condemning Foreign Treatment for Leaders

EXCLUSIVE: FCT Minister Nyesom Wike Secretly Flies to UK for Medical Care, Four Years After Condemning Foreign Treatment for Leaders

Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has quietly traveled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment—just four years after publicly declaring that Nigerian leaders had “no justification” to seek healthcare abroad.

Reliable sources confirmed that Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and one of the most outspoken figures in the country’s political landscape, left Abuja earlier this week on a discreet medical trip. According to those close to him, doctors have diagnosed him with congestive heart failure, a condition that requires urgent and sustained management. Specialists reportedly recommended a bypass surgery, but Wike is said to have declined, fearing an extended absence from office that could open political space for his rivals.

“He has congestive heart failure that is being managed,” one source disclosed. “The doctors suggested a bypass surgery, but he refused because he doesn’t want to be away for too long or risk being replaced.”

The revelation has triggered widespread controversy and public outrage, largely because of Wike’s well-documented statements in the past against medical tourism by Nigerian leaders. In 2019, while receiving a delegation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in Port Harcourt, Wike proudly announced that he had not traveled abroad for two years and saw no need to do so, insisting that Nigeria had the resources to provide healthcare at international standards. He questioned why any leader would need foreign medical treatment when hospitals within the country could be equipped to serve the same purpose. His words at the time were celebrated across the country, with many hailing him for “speaking truth to power” in a system where leaders routinely abandon local facilities for foreign hospitals.

The latest development therefore comes as a stunning contradiction to the image Wike projected during his governorship years. Nigerians who once admired his stand against medical tourism are now accusing him of hypocrisy, saying he has joined the long list of political elites who fail to practice what they preach. Critics argue that while citizens are urged to make sacrifices and endure a failing healthcare system, their leaders secretly fly abroad at the slightest health scare.

This controversy has been compounded by persistent rumors about Wike’s health over the past year. Earlier in 2024, reports circulated that he had collapsed at a public event in Abuja and was rushed to hospital before allegedly being flown overseas for emergency treatment. The minister strongly denied the allegations at the time, describing them as “politically motivated lies” designed to distract attention from crises in Rivers State. He insisted that he was in good health, adding that he had never fainted nor received overseas treatment. His sudden journey to London now casts a shadow over those denials, raising questions about the accuracy of his previous statements and fueling speculation that his health challenges may be more serious than admitted.

The news of Wike’s trip has also unleashed a storm of reactions on social media. Many Nigerians expressed outrage, calling out what they see as a double standard. “Same man that told us leaders shouldn’t go abroad for treatment is now in London. What changed?” one user asked on X (formerly Twitter). Another wrote, “Hospitals in Nigeria are for the poor. Politicians only trust foreign hospitals for themselves.” Civil society groups have also joined in, describing Wike’s trip as a betrayal of public trust and a reminder of the ruling class’s disregard for the plight of ordinary citizens.

Observers note that the minister’s case is part of a long-standing trend in Nigerian politics. From governors to presidents, public officials have consistently shunned local hospitals for foreign clinics, leaving behind a collapsing health sector that fails to meet international standards. Billions of naira have been spent on overseas treatments while public hospitals suffer from underfunding, shortage of equipment, dilapidated infrastructure, and mass exodus of medical professionals to countries with better working conditions. The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and former President Muhammadu Buhari were among Nigerian leaders who spent prolonged periods abroad for medical attention, sparking nationwide debates about transparency, accountability, and national pride.

Critics argue that Wike’s actions reveal the irony of Nigeria’s political class: they expect citizens to endure dysfunctional public services while refusing to rely on those same systems themselves. As governor, Wike did invest in some health infrastructure projects in Rivers State, but analysts maintain that his administration, like many others, fell short of initiating the lasting reforms that could have built public confidence in Nigeria’s health sector. His choice to travel abroad despite once promising otherwise has, in the eyes of many, exposed the hollowness of his earlier commitments.

The secrecy surrounding the minister’s trip has also raised questions about funding. Nigerians are demanding transparency on whether Wike’s treatment is being paid for with public funds or through his personal resources. Civic groups insist that at a time when the nation is grappling with economic hardship, widespread unemployment, and deep budget cuts in vital sectors, the public has the right to know how such overseas expenses are being handled. Opposition politicians have also seized on the news to accuse the government of double standards, pointing out that leaders cannot call for sacrifice while enjoying privileges denied to the citizens they govern.

Ultimately, Wike’s UK medical trip has reignited a broader national debate that goes beyond his personal health. It highlights the crisis of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system and the unwillingness of leaders to confront the rot with the seriousness it requires. For millions of Nigerians, the controversy reinforces a painful reality: hospitals at home are good enough for the poor, but when those in power fall sick, they turn to London, Dubai, or India. Until that dynamic changes, many believe, the country’s health sector will remain trapped in cycles of neglect and underdevelopment.

Whether Wike returns soon to resume his duties in Abuja remains uncertain, but his decision to seek medical attention abroad has already left a deep mark on public perception. To some, it is not just about one politician’s illness but about the unending hypocrisy of Nigeria’s political class and their unwillingness to fix the very system they ask ordinary people to depend on.