Nyesom Wike
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has criticised Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), over his remarks on the state of public schools in Abuja.
On Tuesday, Obi visited LEA Primary School in Kapwa, Abuja, where he described the learning environment as “deeply troubling”, noting that “a school with over 200 children operates under such poor and inhumane conditions”.
He also said the school was not conducive for learning, adding that it had no chairs for teachers, no toilet facilities for pupils, and its classroom furniture was “completely dilapidated”.
Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration of new roads in Abuja, Wike dismissed Obi’s comments, accusing him of playing politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
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“Mr Peter Obi, we just came into office two years ago. We haven’t even completed four years. But you — you were governor for eight years,” Wike said.
“If I were you, I would keep quiet. Enough is enough. You can’t become president of Nigeria just by going to IDP camps for birthday celebrations. Who is interested in that?
“Doing your birthday in an IDP camp doesn’t mean you love Nigeria or that you are committed to change.
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“When you were governor in Anambra, why didn’t you celebrate birthdays in IDP camps?
“Now that you want to be president, every birthday is with the less privileged. Who are you trying to deceive?”
Wike said his administration has taken steps to improve public schools in the FCT and promised to showcase ongoing projects next week.
He accused Obi of spreading propaganda and urged politicians to stop politicising governance issues.
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The minister also took a swipe at Obi’s political prospects, saying the former Anambra governor “will continue to contest on social media but not as president of Nigeria”.
“Someone who cannot manage the party he used to run now wants to manage a country,” Wike added.
On July 19, 2023, Obi celebrated his 62nd birthday in Plateau, where he donated food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state.
The former Anambra governor also made a donation of N5 million with some bags of rice.
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