I’ll contest, change Nigeria in four years, Obi insists
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday traded words over the former’s capacity to win the next presidential election and lead the country.
While Obi reaffirmed his intention to contest the 2027 presidential poll, saying he could change Nigeria’s trajectory within four years if elected, Wike countered saying Nigeria is too complex for a “social media presidency”.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the former Governor of Anambra State expressed confidence in his capacity and competence to lead the country.
“I am contesting, and I am sure I will be on the ballot,” Obi said, “People will have to look at who has the capacity and competence to do the job. I believe I am qualified, and I can change the trajectory of Nigeria positively within four years.”
The ex-governor, who ran on the Labour Party banner in the last general elections, has recently been associated with the emerging opposition coalition that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its common platform.
Despite this, he maintained that he remains a member of the Labour Party while working with other opposition leaders to “rescue Nigeria from bad leadership.”
Asked about reports suggesting his return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Obi said genuine national recovery requires collective effort among all patriotic Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Wike, while inaugurating two newly constructed roads in Mabushi District, took a swipe at Obi over his earlier commentary on the condition of public amenities in the FCT.
He said Obi would continue to contest as president on social media but not as president of Nigeria, accusing him of mismanaging his platform.
Wike said: “You run as president under a party, and you cannot manage the party, ordinary party. You cannot manage to hold a party together; it is Nigeria of over 200 million people that you want to manage? Ordinary party of how many people? Crisis. You can’t hold them, but you want to manage a complex nation like Nigeria. It is not available for people like you. You can know a good dancer from the first step,” Wike declared.
The former Rivers governor further accused Obi of hypocrisy, noting that while he flaunts public shows of compassion, his record in Anambra State tells a different story.
“You cannot be President of Nigeria only when you go to one IDP camp for a birthday party. ‘I went to do my birthday party in an IDP camp…’ Who is interested in all those things? Doing your birthday party in an IDP camp does not make it feel that you love Nigeria or want to do anything for Nigeria.
“When you were a governor, why didn’t you do your birthday party in an IDP camp? It is now that you want to be president. Every day, ‘I am going to do my birthday with the less privileged’. Who will you deceive? Enough is enough,” he said.
