A dispute over the cost of Nyesom Wike’s televised media engagements has drawn competing responses from the Federal Capital Territory minister’s spokesperson and a media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, with both sides raising questions about financial accountability.

According to Daily Trust, Paul Ibe, Atiku’s media adviser, questioned how Wike’s regular broadcasts were financed and called for details of the expenditure to be made public.

Ibe’s concerns followed Wike’s latest media session on Tuesday, which was transmitted live by eight broadcast outlets. Using estimated commercial airtime rates of N10 million to N20 million per station per hour, he projected that a two-hour broadcast across the outlets could cost between N160 million and N320 million.

He further estimated that monthly broadcasts at similar rates could amount to between N1.92 billion and N3.84 billion annually. Ibe requested the release of broadcasters’ invoices, funding sources and relevant budget provisions, while asking how much of the airtime was devoted to FCT development.

The stations he identified were Channels Television, Arise News, TVC, News Central, AIT, JDK, Aso TV and Radio, and ADBN.

Responding, Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, questioned whether FCT residents had complained about the minister’s media appearances. He challenged Ibe to address allegations concerning the reported $308 million sale of a Rivers State gas turbine, an alleged $39 million payment for a hospital project in the Caribbean, and a reported $10 million communication expenditure linked to Rivers State.

Olayinka urged Ibe to seek responses from his political associates on those issues. The projected costs of Wike’s broadcasts remain estimates cited by Ibe and have not been established as actual payments in the information provided.