Celebrating your birthday in IDP camp doesn’t mean you are committed to change - WIKE blasts PETER OBI

Friday, October 17, 2025 - The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has continued to criticise Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), over his recent comments on the state of public schools in Abuja.

Earlier in the week, Obi had visited LEA Primary School in Kapwa, Abuja, where he described the facility as “deeply troubling,” saying it was “inhumane” for more than 200 children to learn in such poor conditions.

Obi said the school lacked basic amenities, including chairs for teachers, toilets for pupils, and functional classroom furniture, and was therefore not conducive for learning.

However, speaking on Thursday during the inauguration of new roads in Abuja, Wike dismissed Obi’s remarks as politically motivated.

“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,” he added.

The minister questioned why Obi never undertook similar gestures while serving as governor of Anambra State, accusing him of hypocrisy.

“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.

He further stated that his administration had already begun improving the condition of public schools in the FCT, adding that ongoing renovation projects would be showcased soon.

Wike accused Obi of “spreading propaganda” and urged politicians to stop using governance issues for political gain.

He also took aim at Obi’s presidential ambitions, saying, “Someone who cannot manage the party he used to run now wants to manage a country. He will continue to contest on social media but not as president of Nigeria.”

Obi, who turned 62 on July 19, 2023, marked his birthday by donating ₦5 million and food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Plateau State, a gesture that has since drawn both praise and criticism.