Samuel marshall
A new storm is gathering in Nigeria’s political firmament as Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has petitioned the United States government to investigate Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over alleged property acquisitions in Florida tied to corruption. Sowore – founder of the whistle-blowing news platform Sahara Reporters – is no stranger to political combat. For over two decades, he has styled himself as an uncompromising scourge of impunity, often at immense personal cost, including arrests, protracted court cases, and stints in detention. His latest confrontation with Wike could rank among his most contentious yet.
At the heart of the matter is a petition submitted by Sowore to the Attorney General of Florida, urging an official probe into Wike’s alleged ownership of luxury real estate in the state. The controversy intensified after West Africa Weekly obtained U.S. public records indicating the assets were acquired in 2025. Sowore insists the acquisitions far exceed Wike’s legitimate earnings and must therefore be products of corruption.
The petition goes beyond a call for investigation. Sowore is demanding punitive action, including a U.S. visa ban on Wike and the confiscation of the contested properties. “Public office holders must not be allowed to launder the fruits of corruption abroad,” he reportedly declared, framing the case as a litmus test of America’s global anti-corruption credentials.
His legal team, led by activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju, reinforced the claims, alleging that the transactions were “illicit and unlawful,” breaching both U.S. and Nigerian statutes.
Nyesom Wike, a two-term former governor of Rivers State and serving Minister of the Federal Capital Territory since 2023, has categorically denied the allegations levelled against him.
According to Wike, the properties in question are the personal assets of his wife, acquired as far back as 2008. Available records suggest the family owns four properties in Florida, one of which is situated at 113 Spring Creek Lane, Winter Springs, FL 32708.
In 2023, the Wike family reportedly transferred ownership of the properties to their children – Jordan, Joaquim, and Jazmyne.
Speaking in a recent interview, Wike dismissed the accusations with emphasis: “I never bought any house. Let anybody show me where I bought a house. Let anybody say the money passed through Wike’s account or his friend’s account.”
Yet political observers argue that Wike’s rebuttal raises further questions. Could his wife’s earnings at the time have legitimately funded such acquisitions? These are precisely the issues Sowore’s petition seeks to place before U.S. investigators.
The development has set off ripples across Nigeria. Civil society groups and anti-corruption advocates welcomed Sowore’s move, contending that Nigeria’s anti-graft efforts often depend on external triggers, given the entrenched perception of selective justice at home.
Others, however, dismiss the petition as politically motivated. “This is not about corruption,” said an APC supporter in Port Harcourt. “It is about a man rejected at the polls trying to stay relevant by pulling others down.”
The Rivers State chapter of the APC was even more scathing, branding Sowore’s claims “the bitter rantings of a failed politician” and urging the federal government to “clip his wings.”
For Sowore, such pushback is hardly novel. Since founding Sahara Reporters in the early 2000s, he has squared up to Nigeria’s most powerful politicians, exposing corruption, election fraud, and human rights abuses. His activist journey stretches back to the June 12, 1993 election annulment protests he spearheaded as a student, through to the “Revolution Now” demonstrations of 2019 that landed him in prolonged detention.
“Omoyele Sowore is a man who thrives on confrontation,” observed a political scientist at the University of Port Harcourt. “Whether one agrees with his methods or not, he has consistently tested the limits of accountability.”
For Wike, the stakes are equally weighty. As FCT Minister, he occupies one of the most influential positions in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, controlling land allocations, infrastructure, and vast federal resources. Any dent in his credibility could ripple across the administration and undermine its professed anti-corruption agenda.
Moreover, Wike remains a towering force in Rivers State politics. Known for his fiery rhetoric and combative style, he has cultivated a loyal political base. Yet his meteoric rise has long been trailed by whispers of questionable wealth and influence – allegations that Sowore has now thrust onto the international stage.***
