Wike faults Obi over national anthem controversy, says he cannot be trusted with presidency

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has declared that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), cannot be trusted with Nigeria’s presidency, accusing him of disrespecting the country’s national symbols and undermining national unity.

The minister spoke on Friday at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State, organised by the Rainbow Coalition to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.

Wike said Obi’s decision to remain seated while the new national anthem was being sung at a political gathering in Lagos showed that he did not identify with Nigeria and could not be trusted with the responsibility of leading the country.

Wike’s comments followed a controversy at an NDC town hall meeting in Lagos on Thursday, where Obi and some party supporters declined to stand when the new national anthem was played but subsequently recited the old national anthem.

In a video of the event that went viral, Obi, Funso Doherty, the NDC governorship candidate in Lagos, and other attendees remained seated when the audience was asked to stand for the new anthem.

The event anchor subsequently switched to the old national anthem, which the attendees recited, while Obi faced the crowd and raised two fingers on both hands to form the NDC logo.

The minister said, “A whole national anthem of a country is being sung. A man who wants to be president of Nigeria would disobey and sit down. And then not only that, when a different national anthem that is not being used for Nigeria was sung, he stood up.”

He added, “In a way, he does not belong to this country. In a way, he has said he does not belong to this country; that if you give him the presidency, he would do a different thing that will divide Nigeria.

“A man who does not believe in Nigeria, someone who derives joy in ridiculing the country by disrespecting its symbolic national anthem must not be allowed to come near the presidency of our country.”

Wike also questioned Obi’s commitment to democratic principles, accusing the former Anambra governor of abandoning political parties whenever they experience internal crises rather than remaining to resolve their differences.

He further faulted Obi for failing to conduct local government elections throughout his eight-year tenure as Anambra governor, describing the record as inconsistent with his professed commitment to the rule of law.

The FCT minister also turned his criticism to the opposition alliance involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, questioning their records in public office.

He cited the condition of Nigeria’s seaports during Amaechi’s tenure as transport minister, the demolition of Government Secondary School, Ogu, without its reconstruction, and what he described as the failure to fulfil a promise to build a 1,000-bed specialist hospital during Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers governor.

Wike urged residents to disregard the claims of opposition politicians on television, insisting that the Tinubu administration had delivered tangible projects to the Ogu-Bolo community.

He cited the construction of the Ogu-Bolo Civic Centre and the appointment of Boma Iyaye, an indigene of the community, to a federal position as examples of the benefits the area had received.

The minister also urged the people to support Tinubu’s re-election, the governorship ambition of Kingsley Chinda in Rivers State and APC candidates seeking election into the National Assembly.