A fresh political confrontation erupted yesterday as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, took a swipe at Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, describing him as a ‘social media president’ who thrives on politics of drama rather than development.
Wike, who spoke during the commissioning of newly completed roads — ILS 11, Esther Bali Street, and MAR 24, Kez Udezue Street— in Mabushi District of the FCT, was reacting to Obi’s recent criticism of the deplorable condition of public schools in Abuja.
After visiting an LEA Primary School in the Kapwa community, Obi had decried what he called the appalling state of infrastructure in the FCT’s education sector, describing it as a “national disgrace” and proof of Nigeria’s misplaced priorities in governance.
But the FCT Minister fired back, accusing Obi of hypocrisy and political opportunism.
“There is one social media man who calls himself a presidential candidate. He went to a school in FCT and mentioned that we did not provide toilets for them. Imagine. He plays politics with everything,” Wike said.
He challenged the former Anambra governor to a public comparison of performance.
“When he was governor for eight years, did he develop the entire Anambra? Instead, he carried the state’s money and put it in his bank. His name is Peter Obi.
“I challenge him to come out publicly and compare what he did in eight years in Anambra with what we have done in just two years in the FCT,” Wike declared.
The outspoken Minister, who has become one of the most visible figures in the Tinubu administration, said tangible results, not media posturing, should measure leadership.
“Someone who cannot manage a political party as a presidential candidate is talking about managing a complex country like Nigeria. He will remain a social media president,” he said.
In a statement issued later by his media aide, Mr Lere Olayinka, the FCT Administration said the Minister’s focus on infrastructure renewal was yielding measurable results.
“Real and verifiable development is taking place under Wike. A total of 102 contracts have been awarded for renovation of schools in the FCT; 73 are ongoing, while 21 have been completed,” Olayinka stated.
He described Obi as an “Internally Displaced Politician (IDP)” who is seeking relevance in the media space.
“It is funny that someone who should be worried that he has no political platform for 2027 has turned himself into a political wanderer,” Olayinka added.
FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, commended President Bola Tinubu for his “steady leadership and unwavering belief that the prosperity of Nigeria begins with the strength of its capital city.”
She lauded Wike’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, describing him as “the driver of the FCT’s new era of infrastructure renaissance.”
Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Jacob Dauda disclosed that the Mabushi road contracts were awarded in May 2025 and completed within the stipulated six-month timeframe, in line with the Abuja Master Plan.
