Obidients, Wike clash over attack on Obi

The camp of the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has hit back at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for describing the former Anambra State governor as a “social media president.”

Obi’s media aide and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said the movement was unbothered by Wike’s comments, insisting that the minister’s frequent mentions of Obi were a ploy to stay relevant.

“Let me tell you something. How will Wike sell his market if he doesn’t mention Peter Obi?” Tanko said. “As I am talking to you, you need to see the mammoth crowd we have in our town hall meeting here in Nnewi (Anambra State). Wike is the least of our worries now. We are meeting all our unit commanders in Anambra, and everyone is responding in an orderly manner.”

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Tanko defended Obi’s recent remarks about the poor state of public schools in the FCT, saying the Labour Party leader only spoke the truth.

Obi has done nothing wrong. I was there on the ground and saw those dilapidated buildings. We also visited a clinic where only one nurse was on duty. Even the roads to the place are not easily accessible. What Obi did was simply to point out public facilities in dire need of attention. Wike needs to face that reality and do his job,” he said.

Wike had, on Thursday, dismissed Obi’s criticisms, accusing him of playing politics with national issues.

Speaking during the commissioning of newly constructed roads in Mabushi District, Abuja, the minister said Obi was more interested in gaining sympathy online than in building a credible legacy.

“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 minister faulted Obi’s credibility to criticise any government, alleging that he failed to complete major infrastructure projects during his eight-year tenure as Anambra governor.

“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 put the money in the bank where you have an interest, looking for profit while the state suffered,” he claimed.

Wike argued that his two years in office as FCT minister had yielded more visible results than Obi’s eight years as governor, saying, “Compare what we have done in two years in the FCT to what you did in eight years in Anambra. Can you really say you love this country? Certainly not.”

He further described Obi as a failed party leader and an unstable politician, adding that “you will continue to contest as President on social media, but not as President of Nigeria.”

“You ran for President under a party you could not even manage. You couldn’t hold your party together, yet you want to lead a country of over 200 million people. It’s not available for people like you,” Wike said.