Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has launched a fresh attack on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of avoiding political struggles and preferring opportunities where success comes easily.
Wike made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, where he questioned Obi’s leadership style and political journey, insisting that true leadership requires courage, resilience and the ability to confront difficult situations.
The former Rivers State governor claimed that Obi has a history of moving from one political platform to another whenever challenges arise, arguing that such a pattern does not demonstrate the qualities needed to lead a country facing complex economic and political problems.
According to Wike, leadership is not about seeking comfort or waiting for opportunities to be handed over without effort.
“Peter Obi likes ‘food is ready,’ ‘Mama Put.’ I don’t want struggling,” Wike said during the interview.
He added that Nigeria currently faces serious challenges and requires leaders who are prepared to confront problems directly rather than move away from them.
“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,” he said.
Wike used his own experience within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to support his argument. The minister noted that despite the prolonged crisis that rocked the opposition party before and after the 2023 general elections, he remained in the PDP rather than leaving for another political platform.
The PDP has experienced deep internal divisions in recent years, especially following disagreements over power-sharing arrangements, the party’s presidential ticket and leadership positions. Wike was one of the leading members of the G-5 governors who opposed the PDP leadership ahead of the 2023 election.
Reflecting on that period, Wike said he chose to remain in the party despite the tensions.
“You saw in 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?” he said.
He argued that facing difficulties rather than avoiding them is what defines leadership.
“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,” he added.
The minister also spoke about his experience since taking office as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in August 2023. His appointment by President Bola Tinubu generated mixed reactions, particularly because of his prominent role in the opposition PDP and his support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
Wike said he faced criticism from different quarters when he assumed office but remained determined to implement his plans for Abuja.
“When I came here as a minister, there’s no abuse I did not get. ‘You think here is Port Harcourt, you can’t do it in Abuja.’ I say it will be done. I’m doing it. Heaven will not fall. In fact, heaven is at peace now,” he said.
Since becoming FCT Minister, Wike has embarked on major road projects, infrastructure development and urban renewal programmes across Abuja. His administration has also intensified efforts to recover government properties and enforce development regulations within the capital city.
Turning to national issues, Wike praised President Tinubu for taking difficult decisions aimed at reforming the economy, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy shortly after assuming office.
The subsidy removal remains one of the most debated policies of the current administration. While government officials argue that the policy was necessary to save public funds and redirect resources to development projects, many Nigerians continue to struggle with rising transportation costs, inflation and increased living expenses linked to the decision.
Despite the hardships, Wike defended the policy and described the subsidy regime as a long-standing problem that previous governments failed to address.
“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?” he asked.
He said President Tinubu demonstrated leadership by taking action rather than merely acknowledging the problem.
“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,” Wike stated.
Acknowledging the economic difficulties currently faced by many Nigerians, the minister argued that temporary hardship is sometimes necessary to achieve long-term progress.
“There are sufferings. Yes, he said there will be suffering, but the suffering that will lead us to progress tomorrow. That is leadership,” he said.
Wike further stressed that leaders are elected not only to identify problems but also to take decisive actions to solve them, even when such decisions may be unpopular in the short term.
“The worst of a 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,” he said.
He added that while some problems require immediate solutions and others demand long-term planning, leaders must be willing to lay the foundation for future progress.
“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,” he said.
Wike also revisited Obi’s political history, arguing that the former Anambra State governor has repeatedly moved from one political party to another whenever challenges emerged.
According to him, Obi’s political movements suggest opportunism rather than commitment to building political institutions.
“Obi was in APGA. He couldn’t build the APGA. He left APGA. He came to the PDP. He ran away from the PDP. He went to Labour. Labour had a crisis. He ran away again from Labour,” Wike alleged.
Obi, one of Nigeria’s most influential opposition figures, recently emerged as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 election after leaving the Labour Party. His supporters, however, have consistently argued that his political decisions were driven by the need to pursue reforms and provide a credible alternative to the country’s dominant political parties.