Wike: Obi Too Stingy to Be President

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, describing him as too stingy to be Nigeria’s president.

Wike made the remark on Saturday during a town hall meeting with stakeholders of the Rainbow Coalition in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

He questioned Obi’s leadership style, arguing that a former governor seeking to lead the country should have a personal assistant to handle his personal belongings.

“As a former governor, you cannot be stingy not to have employed a personal assistant who will carry your bag. You want to show you carry your bag. We don’t want such a stingy person as a president,” Wike said.

The minister also described Obi as a “president of social media”, arguing that his online popularity did not necessarily demonstrate his ability to govern Nigeria.

“Truly speaking, I gave him president of social media. If you were to vote who will be president of social media, I will vote for him. But if it is to govern Nigeria, it is capital no!” he added.

Wike further questioned Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State, urging Nigerians to assess his performance while in office.

He also criticised politicians who leave their parties during internal disagreements, citing his experience in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as an example of his decision to remain and fight for his position.

The FCT minister reiterated his support for President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general election.

He also defended Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy, acknowledging the economic difficulties associated with the policy while arguing that it had increased revenue allocations to state and local governments.

Obi had yet to respond publicly to Wike’s latest comments at the time of filing this report.