Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a fresh attack on former Anambra State governor and presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the leadership capacity to stabilise political parties.
This was as he dismissed ongoing opposition coalition talks, saying they were driven by personal ambition.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike said political decisions must prioritise public peace and stability rather than individual interests.
“You see, in politics, there are peculiarities everywhere. You look at how it’s going to suit your state. You look at how your state will be harmonious. So you don’t do something to satisfy yourself. We do something to satisfy our people. How are people going to be peaceful? That’s what is important to us,” he said.
The FCT minister downplayed the idea of a united opposition coalition capable of confronting the ruling party in 2027, describing it as unrealistic.
“So, this issue of coalition, I mean coercion. In fact, I told you, there’s nothing called coalition. I said they will all fall like a pack of cards. You are looking at coalition based on faces. Why don’t people raise other parties? We have nothing less than 20 separate political parties,” he stated.
Wike also took aim at African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, suggesting his political moves were motivated by personal ambition.
“Atiku left PDP because he knows he cannot get through. He cannot get where he can take everybody. Because he has always wanted to run. And we said he won’t run again. He did everything. He saw that he could not manipulate it, and then he had to go to where he would be comfortable to get the ticket. And you are calling it opposition,” he said.
On Obi, Wike criticised what he described as a pattern of moving between political parties without resolving internal crises.
“Let me tell you what I don’t like in this country. Obi was in APGA. He couldn’t build APGA — crisis. What is good in leadership? Leadership is for you to stand up to challenges and see how you settle those crises,” he said.
“He left APGA. He came to the PDP. He ran away from the PDP. There was one man in the PDP who is dominating everything. He went to Labour. Labour had crisis. You couldn’t also use your leadership skills, your leadership prowess, to put Labour together. He ran away again from Labour. He went to ADC. Now ADC has problems. He ran away from ADC again.”
In a sharp remark, Wike added: “All they are looking for, food is ready. Food is ready anywhere. Who will stabilise if you cannot stabilise?”
The minister further insisted that political loyalty and resilience remain critical, citing his decision to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite internal disputes.
“I was in PDP. There was a fight in PDP. Governors were there. I said, none of you have the capacity to tell me to leave this party. But I will make you leave the party. Yes, they all left the party. Yes, I’m still there,” he said.
Wike reiterated that his support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 election did not prevent his party from winning key positions in Rivers state.
“When we supported Tinubu in 2023, my party still won the governorship, National Assembly and the State Assembly,” he added.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
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