Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, as a stingy man who is unfit to govern Nigeria.
Wike, who spoke at a town hall interactive meeting with stakeholders in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State, mocked the former Anambra State governor’s habit of carrying his own bags.
“As a former governor, you cannot be so stingy that you have not employed a personal assistant to carry your bag. You want to show that you carry your bag. We don’t want such a stingy person as a president,” he said.
He called Obi a social media presidential contender, arguing that online popularity was no substitute for the experience and capacity required to govern the country.
“Truly speaking, I named him president of social media. If you were to vote for who will be president of social media, I would vote for him. But when it comes to governing Nigeria, it is a capital ‘no’!” Wike said.
The minister questioned Obi’s record as Anambra governor, saying the performance of the incumbent, Chukwuma Soludo, should inform public assessment of the former governor’s administration.
He also took a swipe at politicians who switch parties in the face of internal crises, saying leadership requires the ability to confront challenges rather than flee from them.
“How will you solve the problems of the country? Did you see when there was a problem in the PDP? Did I run? I defeated them,” he said.
Wike expressed doubts about the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket and the reliability of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom he said he had known since their days in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He declared support for President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party offered the platform he would back in the 2027 presidential election.
Addressing the previous Rivers State administration, Wike urged voters to scrutinize the records of politicians seeking higher office instead of relying on campaign declarations.
He alleged that $39 million was spent on a proposed 1,000-bed Justice Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital without the project reaching the foundation stage.
“Thirty-nine million US dollars, 53 billion naira, gone! As I speak to you, there is no foundation, not one block laid,” he said.
He claimed that about N60 billion was spent on the state’s monorail project, questioning its functionality and the value it delivered to residents.
On the sale of a gas turbine, Wike alleged that the transaction was worth $308 million, yet only $308,000 remained in the relevant state account when he assumed office in May 2015.
He also recalled a proposal to spend $10 million on fumigating Rivers State to address mosquito bites, questioning the logic of such an exercise in a state sharing boundaries with several others.
Wike announced that the Rainbow Coalition would unveil its candidates on Tuesday, October 27, and named Kingsley Chinda as its choice for the Rivers State governorship race.
He said some of the candidates would contest under the APC, even though the coalition’s membership cuts across party lines.
“Under the Rainbow Coalition in our state today, you see the APC, the PDP, all of us. No more Rivers of blood, no more shooting, no more people dying needlessly,” Wike said.
The minister urged residents to back candidates he described as experienced and committed to public service, promising that the concerns raised by Bonny residents would receive attention.
He praised the completion of the Bonny-Bodo Road, saying it had improved access to the island community and reduced the hardships residents previously faced while traveling by boat. He added that he had informed President Tinubu that the road was a major achievement for the people of Bonny.
