The camp of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have traded words over Wike’s recent remarks describing Obi as a “social media president.”
Okay News reports that Wike made the statement while commissioning new roads in the Mabushi District of Abuja on Thursday, where he accused Obi of playing politics with governance and focusing more on online popularity than developmental achievements.
“I hear one of the social media presidential candidates went to a local authority school and said the government has abandoned public schools. His name is Mr. Peter Obi. It’s not everything you must play politics with,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister also accused the former Anambra State governor of failing to complete major projects during his tenure, claiming that Obi’s administration focused more on saving money than on tangible development.
“Peter Obi, you were governor for eight years. If you had finished all the jobs, nobody would be talking about developing Anambra by now. Instead of developing Anambra, you kept money in the bank where you had an interest, seeking profit while the state suffered,” Wike alleged.
He went further to assert that his two years in office as FCT Minister had achieved more visible results than Obi’s eight years as governor.
“Compare what we have done in two years in the FCT to what you did in eight years in Anambra. Can you say you love this country? Certainly not,” he added.
In response, Obi’s media aide and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, dismissed Wike’s remarks as attention-seeking.
“How will Wike sell his market if he doesn’t mention Peter Obi?” Tanko asked. “As I speak to you, there’s a massive crowd at our town hall meeting in Nnewi, Anambra State. Wike is the least of our worries right now.”
Tanko maintained that Obi did nothing wrong by highlighting the deplorable state of public schools in the FCT, saying his visit was based on facts, not politics.
“Obi has done nothing wrong. We saw the dilapidated buildings, the poor clinic facilities, and inaccessible roads. What he did was simply to call attention to government neglect. Wike should face his duties instead of attacking critics,” he said.
Wike, however, fired back, describing Obi as a failed party leader who lacks the stability to govern a diverse country like Nigeria.
“You ran for President under a party you couldn’t even manage. You couldn’t hold your party together, yet you want to lead a country of over 200 million people. You will continue to contest as President on social media, but not as President of Nigeria,” the minister said.
The heated exchange has since sparked mixed reactions across political circles, with supporters of both men engaging in a fierce online debate about performance, governance, and leadership credibility.
