The minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticized the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Coalition, Peter Obi, describing his political style as opportunistic and lacking the resilience required for true national leadership.
Wike, speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, claimed that Obi, who emerged as the Nigerian Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate for the 2027 election after defecting from the LP, consistently avoids political battles, preferring to position himself only where victories are easily won.
Wike made the statements during an interview with Arise TV on Monday, in response to concerns about Obi’s leadership style.
Wike said, “Peter Obi likes ‘food is ready’ and ‘Mama put.’ I don’t want struggling.
“Look, this country has challenges. You must have the capacity to face those challenges. It’s not when you have one problem, you say, ‘Oh, this problem is too much, let me move to so-and-so place.’ That is not leadership. Leadership is not about having something dashed to you.”
Wike contrasted Obi’s political moves with his own contentious decision to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party despite internal disagreements.
“You saw in the PDP. I said, “I will not leave this party.” They had money. Yes. But it’s not money. I said I was not going to leave. Rather, you will leave. Have I left? Have they not left?
“It’s challenging. Face the challenges you have. That’s what makes you a leader. That’s what makes you a man. Leadership is not dashing you something. That’s not leadership,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor also addressed the harsh criticism he faced upon taking office as FCT minister, saying, “When I got here as a minister, there was no abuse I didn’t receive. “You think here is Port Harcourt; you can’t do it in Abuja.” I say it will be done. I’m doing it. Heaven won’t fall. In reality, heaven is at peace right now.
Turning to the national economic environment, Wike lauded President Bola Tinubu for having the executive courage to enact changes, particularly the elimination of the petrol subsidy, which he described as cancer.
“Look at what the president is doing. We have had governments that have come. Everybody has noticed that this subsidy was a cancer. There’s no government that has never identified that. Every government, what did you do after identifying this? ”Wike questioned.
“That’s where leadership now comes in. This government came and said, ‘This is a problem; we must solve this problem. How do I solve this problem? I must do this,’ and he did it.
“There are sufferings. Yes, he said there will be suffering, but it’s the suffering that will lead us to progress tomorrow. That is leadership.”
Wike continued by remarking that a leader’s failing is the inability to make decisive, long-term decisions out of fear of temporary criticism.
“The worst kind of leader is somebody who has identified a problem and cannot make a decision on how to solve that problem. They didn’t bring you here to just identify problems and go. You are brought here to identify a problem and be able to solve such a problem.
“There are problems that will be short-term. There are problems that will be long-term to solve. But have you laid the foundation for solving such problems? In solving such problems, there could be a lot of difficulties. But are you going to achieve it at the end of the day? Yes. Leadership needs courage.”
