The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday questioned the leadership capacity and competence of the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to lead the nation.
Wike remarked that Obi would continue to run for president only on social media, not as the president of Nigeria.
He made this statement during the commissioning of two newly completed roads—ILS11 (Esther Bali Street) and MAR24 (Kez Udezue Street)—in the Mabushi area of Abuja.
The Minister criticised Obi’s frequent condemnation of the government.
According to Wike, Obi lacked the moral standing to lecture anyone about governance, alleging that he failed during his tenure as Governor of Anambra State.
The Minister advised Obi to remain silent rather than criticise effective governance.
Wike said, “You run as president under a party, and you cannot manage the party, ordinary party. You cannot manage to hold a party together; it is 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.”
Wike accused Obi of hypocrisy, stating that although he presents himself as compassionate, his record in Anambra suggests otherwise.
“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 you have done in FCT and compare 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.
“You cannot be President of Nigeria only when you go to one IDP camp for a birthday party. ‘I went to my birthday party in an IDP camp…’ Who is interested in all those things? Doing your birthday party in an IDP camp does not make it feel that 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,” he said.
Wike alleged that Obi prioritised personal financial gain over state development throughout his eight years as governor.
He said: “Some people, because of politics, castigate the government. For example, I heard one of the social media presidential candidates went to one of the local authority area 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. Instead of developing Anambra, you took the money and put it in the bank where you have interest. The money was there to develop Anambra State but you only preferred profit, and Anambra was suffering.
“Again, we will show you in the next few weeks what we have been able to do in our public schools in just two years, while you (Obi) are talking about eight years. Everything must not be propaganda. As the Minister of FCT, I cannot claim I know everywhere in Abuja. It is not possible. So, if you are a responsible citizen, it is not just to go to social media to think that they will love you.
“You will continue to contest as president on social media, but not as president of Nigeria.”
