Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has ridiculed former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi for leaving the party when it faced internal crisis, saying he fled instead of showing leadership.
Wike made the remarks on Sunday, March 29, while speaking to delegates at the Peoples Democratic Party 2026 National Convention at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The minister likened Obi’s departure from the Labour Party to the actions of PDP governors who recently defected, suggesting both lacked the courage to navigate difficult situations.
“Leadership is not an easy task. Leadership requires courage. Leadership requires firmness. Leadership requires commitment,” Wike said.
“What you see that has happened, the faction of some governors who have left have only shown you they lack the leadership traits. I liken them to the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party.”
Wike argued that Obi abandoned the Labour Party at a time when he should have demonstrated his ability to manage challenges.
“The presidential candidate of the Labour Party before wanted to be president. And they gave him a platform. And that platform was the Labour Party.
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“When crisis came in the Labour Party, it was time it is required for him to show leadership. He ran away because he could not solve problems,” Wike said.
He drew a direct parallel between Obi’s exit and the behaviour of defecting governors.
“The same thing, when our governors were looking for a platform to be governor, they became governors.
“When crisis came, for them to show leadership, for them to show men of vision and courage, they ran away. This is to tell you those who can stand when there are crises,” he added.
Obi ran for president in 2023 under the Labour Party, placing third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
He joined the African Democratic Congress in 2025 as part of efforts to build a coalition to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The emerging alliance includes notable political figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi.