FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has once again made headlines as Wike criticizes Peter Obi over his leadership record and political conduct. Wike questioned Obi’s capacity to lead Nigeria, claiming he only campaigns for the presidency on social media.
The minister made these remarks while inaugurating two new roads; ILS11 (Esther Bali Street) and MAR24 (Kez Udezue Street), in Mabushi, Abuja. He frowned at Obi’s continued criticism of the government, calling it hypocritical and baseless.
Wike said: “You ran as president on the platform of a party, and you cannot manage the party,ordinary party. You cannot manage to hold a party together; is it Nigeria of over 200 million people that you want to manage? Ordinary party of how many people? Crisis. You can’t hold them, but you want to manage a complex nation like Nigeria. It is not available for people like you. You can know a good dancer from the first step.”
He argued that Obi failed as governor of Anambra State and therefore lacks the integrity to lecture others about governance. According to Wike, Obi should focus on self-reflection instead of constant criticism.
Wike accused Obi of pretending to care for Nigerians while pursuing personal interests. “Mr Peter Obi, we just came into office two years ago. We have not even stayed four years, but you stayed eight good years. Compare two years in office of what we have done in FCT with your eight years in office in Anambra. Can you really say you love this country? Can you really say you love Anambra? Certainly not. If I were you, I would be quiet. Why not be quiet? Enough is enough.”
He dismissed Obi’s public displays of empathy, including his visits to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. “You cannot be President of Nigeria only when you go to one IDP camp for a birthday party. ‘I went to celebrate my birthday party in an IDP camp…’ Who is interested in all those things? Doing your birthday party in an IDP camp does not mean you love Nigeria or want to do anything for Nigeria. When you were a governor, why didn’t you do your birthday party in an IDP camp? It is now you want to be president. Every day, I am going to celebrate my birthday with the less privileged. Who will you deceive? Enough is enough.”
Wike alleged that Obi prioritized personal financial gain over public development during his eight years in office. “Some people criticize the government because of politics,” he said. “For example, I heard one of the social media presidential candidates went to one of the local authority schools and was saying that the government has abandoned public schools. In particular, his name is Mr Peter Obi.”
“It is not everything you must play politics with. Peter Obi, you were governor for eight years in Anambra State. If you had finished all the jobs, nobody would be talking about developing Anambra by now.”
