The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the leadership capacity to manage internal party crises.
Wike made the remarks on Sunday while addressing delegates at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2026 National Convention held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
In his speech, the FCT Minister questioned Obi’s decision to leave the Labour Party amid its internal challenges, drawing parallels with some PDP governors who recently defected.
“Leadership is not an easy task. Leadership requires courage. Leadership requires firmness. Leadership requires commitment,” Wike said.
He continued, “What you see that has happened, the faction of some governors who have left have only shown you they lack the leadership traits. I liken them to the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
“The presidential candidate of the Labour Party [Peter Obi] before wanted to be president. And they gave him a platform. And that platform was the Labour Party. When crisis came in the Labour Party, it [was] time it is required for him to show leadership. He ran away because he could not solve problems.
“The same thing, when our governors were looking for a platform to be governor, they became governors. When crisis came, for them to show leadership, for them to show men of vision and courage, they ran away. This is to tell you those who can stand when there are crises.”
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party and finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2025.
His move comes amid the emergence of a coalition platform aimed at challenging Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
The alliance includes prominent political figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi, among others.
