Reuben Abati, who used to be the presidential spokesperson and now co-hosts The Morning Show on Arise TV, has denied claims made by Lere Olayinka. Olayinka, a media aide to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, said Abati and his wife once asked the minister for money.

Abati also denied other similar stories that have been shared in the news.

On a recent Friday show, Olayinka accused Abati of supporting Rotimi Amaechi, the former Governor of Rivers State.

Olayinka said Abati was not on the show that day because the program’s management removed him due to his supposed bias.

However, Rufai Oseni, the other co-host, disagreed. He explained the real reason Abati was absent.

Oseni also said Abati and his wife had asked Wike for financial help before. But Abati strongly denied this claim.

Abati said clearly, “I never went to Minister Nyesom Wike to ask for money. That is not true. If anyone, including an ex-partner, went to him pretending to ask for money in my name, I want to say that it was not approved by me.”

He added that such actions were not his, and that Minister Wike can call it fraud if it is not true.

Abati also denied being politically linked to Amaechi.

He said, “I am not Rotimi Amaechi’s spokesperson, and I don’t even have his phone number. That is a made-up story.”

Abati explained that he missed the show on Friday because he was attending a planned event—a book review for “Oprah Benson Live and Legend,” a 550-page book by Dr. Udu Yakubu. He said it was an important intellectual event.

Abati described Olayinka’s suggestion that he should quit his media job and become Amaechi’s spokesperson as inappropriate.

He added, “I stand by what I said about Minister Wike. He is a public official and should always be open to public questions. No one in public service should be above being held accountable.”