.

.

September 2026

NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has responded to concerns reportedly expressed by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike about becoming a target if Obi wins the 2027 presidency, insisting he holds no personal grudge and calling Wike “a very good friend” despite their political differences.

“Nyesom Wike still remains a very good friend of mine. He looked healthier when we were working together. When Wike and I were together, he was a much happier person and was enjoying himself,” Obi said in a recent interview.

Obi also addressed a comment he said had been relayed to him, attributed to Wike, suggesting the minister would go after Obi first if he became president. “Someone even told me that Wike said if I became president, he would be the first person I would come after,” Obi said. “But I’m not campaigning to become president to start pursuing people. I want to go into office to focus on tomorrow, not chase people around.”

–

Obi’s remarks come as a direct response to Wike’s own stated apprehension: the FCT minister has said he could become a target of opposition politicians should President Bola Tinubu lose the 2027 presidential election — a concern that, per Obi’s account, was relayed to him as Wike naming him specifically as the person who would “come after” him first were he to become president. The two men were politically aligned ahead of the 2023 general election but have since drifted apart, with Wike — a PDP chieftain serving in the APC-led federal government — taking repeated public swipes at Obi in recent months, including describing him in June as a “food is ready” politician who avoids difficult governance challenges rather than confronting them.

Obi’s comment about Wike appearing “healthier” when they worked together was interpreted by some as an implied suggestion that the minister might currently be unwell. Obi pushed back on that reading directly: “No, no, no, no. I’m not saying it. So I didn’t say so. I didn’t say so,” he said, clarifying that his observation was about happiness rather than health. “Even at times you can have too much money and everything, but you’re not happy where you are,” he added.

Obi went on to say that using the presidency to settle political scores would represent a failure of leadership, and that Nigerians who have placed their hopes in his candidacy would be disappointed if he spent his time in office pursuing political opponents rather than addressing the country’s problems.

Wike had not issued a public response to Obi’s latest remarks as of this writing.