Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of practising politics rooted in sentiment and public appeal rather than governance and tangible results.
Wike argued that leadership should be measured by the courage to make difficult decisions and deliver on promises, not by symbolic public gestures designed to attract sympathy or win political support.
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, the former Rivers State governor said he had known Obi for years and did not agree with what he described as the former Anambra governor’s style of politics.
“I know Peter Obi very well,” Wike said. “What I don’t like is playing to the gallery,” he stated.
According to Wike, leadership should not be reduced to symbolic public gestures aimed at winning sympathy from Nigerians.
“I was a governor. I’ve never attended parties in IDP camps. I’ve never gone to celebrate my birthday in motherless babies’ homes simply because I wanted to be president,” he said.
“Every birthday, you go to an IDP camp, you go to a prison, and people say, ‘Oh, this is the type of person we want.’ No. Leadership is not about that,” the minister added.
Wike argued that Nigerians should judge political leaders by their ability to govern and make difficult decisions rather than by emotional public displays.
He also defended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying many of Nigeria’s economic challenges were inherited and could not be resolved within a year.
According to him, the country’s problems had accumulated over 15 years, making it unrealistic to expect immediate solutions from the current administration.
“When problems continue to get worse over the years, it takes time to heal. Challenges that built up over 15 years cannot be solved in one year,” he said.
Wike cited the removal of fuel subsidy as an example of the difficult decisions previous administrations avoided despite acknowledging that the policy was unsustainable.
“We all knew fuel subsidy was a scam. Many presidents said so, but nobody had the political will to remove it. President Tinubu came and stopped it,” he said.
He maintained that while no government decision could ever be 100 per cent right, leadership required the courage to make tough choices in the interest of the country.
Wike added that rebuilding an economy after years of structural challenges would inevitably take time, urging Nigerians to be patient with the reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration.