ABUJA: FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has slammed Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, calling him anti-democratic for criticizing Nigeria’s democratic system while failing to hold local government elections throughout his eight-year tenure as governor of Anambra State.
Speaking at an Anglican Church service in Asokoro, Abuja, on Sunday, Wike condemned the growing support for Mr Obi, who recently joined an opposition coalition aiming to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, Wike stated. Some of you support someone you barely know just based on emotions.
Peter Obi as president? For eight years, he never conducted local government elections. Is that democracy?
Wike argued that Obi lacks the moral grounds to complain about Nigeria’s political structure, having centralized power during his governorship by acting both as governor and as de facto head of local councils.
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“Now he says democracy isn’t working, but it worked when he was the only one in charge, serving as both governor and local government chairman? That era is over, Wike said.
The Minister dismissed the newly formed opposition alliance under the African Democratic Congress( ADC) as politically motivated rather than a credible democratic force.
In response to the allegations, Peter Obi clarified that his administration faced legal hurdles that delayed the conduct of local council elections.
For over six years, I was legally restrained from organizing local government elections in Anambra State, Obi explained.
The political feud between both leaders highlights increasing tensions ahead of the 2027 presidential race, with Wike firmly backing the Tinubu administration and Obi positioning himself as a reform-driven alternative.
