Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that former Anambra governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, lacks the democratic credentials and credibility needed to lead Nigeria.
Wike made the remarks on Sunday, July 6, during a thanksgiving service organised by the FCT Administration to mark the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects.
“Some of you have sympathy for somebody you don’t know,” Wike said. “You say Peter Obi will be President. President where?
“For eight years, he was governor; he never conducted local government elections. That is what you describe as democracy. Only you were the governor and chairman of the local governments.”
The minister questioned Obi’s record in office and accused him of undemocratic governance during his two terms in Anambra, suggesting that those backing him for the presidency had failed to properly examine his leadership style.
Wike’s criticism came amid his broader attack on opposition figures within the recently launched coalition, which adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
The coalition includes Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rauf Aregbesola, among others.
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Wike accused them of hypocrisy and inconsistency, saying their frequent party defections reflected a lack of principle.
“In 1999, you were at this party. In 2006. In 2014, you moved to another party. In 2019, you came back to another party. Now, in 2025, you have moved to another party? To rescue whom?” he asked. “You want to rescue your stomach; it’s not Nigerians you want to rescue.”
He also dismissed their chances of regaining power, insisting they had failed Nigerians when given the opportunity.
“Somebody was speaker for eight years, governor eight years, minister eight years, he didn’t know that Nigerians were angry. It’s just these two years he left office, you’re telling Nigerians that Nigerians are angry?
“Why won’t they be angry when, in eight years as Minister of Transportation, you borrowed so much money from China, making us highly indebted?” Wike said.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration and not be swayed by politicians whom he claimed had outlived their relevance.
“Forget about people who have lost their chances to put Nigeria right. They won’t have the chance again,” Wike added.