The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying he would “continue to contest for President on social media, but never as President of Nigeria.”
Wike made the remark on Thursday during the inauguration of newly constructed roads in the Mabushi District of Abuja, in response to Obi’s recent criticism of the deplorable condition of public schools in the FCT.
Obi had, on Wednesday, visited LEA Primary School in Kapwa, where he described the learning environment as a “national disgrace” and a reflection of Nigeria’s “hollow commitment to education.” The former Anambra governor lamented the absence of chairs, toilets, and basic learning facilities, blaming the decay on poor governance and misplaced priorities.
In a swift reaction, Wike accused Obi of playing politics with everything, saying his public appearances were aimed at gaining social media sympathy rather than addressing issues constructively.
“I hear one of the social media presidential candidates went to one of the Local Authority schools and said the government has abandoned public education. His name is Mr Peter Obi. It’s not everything you must politicise,” Wike said.
The minister further questioned Obi’s moral standing to criticise any government on infrastructure, alleging that he failed to complete major projects during his eight-year tenure as Anambra governor.
“Peter Obi, you were governor for eight years in Anambra State. If you had completed all your projects, nobody would be talking about developing Anambra now. And why did you even have problems with your successor?” Wike queried.
He went on to compare his performance as FCT Minister with Obi’s record as governor, claiming his administration had achieved more in two years than Obi did in eight.
“We’ve been in office for only two years. You were in office for eight. Compare what we’ve done in the FCT with what you did in Anambra — can you really say you love this country? Can you really say you love Ndi Anambra? Certainly not,” Wike said.
Taking a further jab, Wike said the presidency was not meant for someone who “couldn’t even manage a small political party.”
“You’ll continue to contest for President on social media, but not as President of Nigeria. You ran under a party but couldn’t manage it. If you couldn’t hold a small party together, how do you expect to manage a country of over 200 million people? It’s not available for people like you,” he declared.
