Nigeria: Wike slams Obi for abandoning Labour Party
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has criticized former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, saying he lacks the leadership courage to manage internal party crises. Wike made the remarks at the Peoples Democratic Party 2026 National Convention, using Obi’s departure from the Labour Party to criticize PDP governors who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“Leadership is not an easy task. Leadership requires courage. Leadership requires firmness. Leadership requires commitment,” Wike said. He drew a parallel between Obi’s exit and the defecting PDP governors, saying both demonstrated a lack of leadership qualities.
Wike noted that Obi was given a platform by the Labour Party to pursue his presidential ambition, but abandoned it when faced with adversity. “When crisis came in the Labour Party, it was time it was required for him to show leadership. He ran away because he could not solve problems,” Wike said.
Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, defected to the African Democratic Congress in 2025 and is now part of an opposition coalition positioning to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
