Obi’s disrespect for national anthem shows he is lawless – Wike

By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Friday said the refusal of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC, Peter Obi to stand for the national anthem, while rising for a different anthem, shows he is lawless and out to divide Nigeria. Wike spoke at a stakeholders’ town hall in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State, organised under the Rainbow Coalition to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election and candidates of the All Progressives Congress APC.

“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. 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 president, 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”, he told traditional rulers, community leaders, youths and party faithful. Wike also attacked Obi’s record, alleging that the former Anambra State governor abandons political parties whenever internal crises arise instead of staying to resolve them.

He faulted Obi for not conducting local government elections in his eight years as governor, calling it a contradiction of his professed belief in the rule of law. The minister then turned to the opposition coalition involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi. He questioned their records in office, citing the state of the seaports during Amaechi’s tenure as Minister of Transportation.

He also alleged that the administration demolished Government Secondary School (GSS), Ogu, without rebuilding it, and left a 1,000-bed specialist hospital promise unfulfilled. Wike urged the people of Ogu-Bolo to ignore what he called “big grammar” from opposition politicians on television. He said Tinubu’s administration had delivered tangible dividends of democracy to the area, pointing to the Ogu-Bolo Civic Centre, facilitated through the federal appointment of an indigene, Boma Iyaye, and to the conduct of local government elections.

He called on residents to vote massively for Tinubu, Mr Kingsley Chinda for Governor of Rivers State, and all APC candidates seeking National Assembly seats. Chairman of the council, Mr Vincent Nemieboka, said the gathering brought together the council’s core leadership, including traditional rulers, Community Development Committee (CDC) executives, youth leaders, women groups and elders.

Nemieboka said the council’s support for Wike rests on projects and appointments secured for indigenes. “I will not be boasting if I say you should consider everybody here as your supporter. “Considering the volume of things, projects, and appointments you have implemented in this local government area, we will be glad to welcome you always, support you always, and follow you always”, he said.

The Amanyanabo of Bolo, King Acheseinimie Frank, cited visible projects executed through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). These include sandfilling works, internal roads in Ogu-Bolo, and the construction and maintenance of the Kira–Ogu-Bolo road. Frank said Ogu-Bolo had also gained three major political appointments through Wike’s office, and assured the minister of the community’s gratitude and goodwill.

Chairman of the Ogu Divisional Council of Chiefs, Chief Lawrence Abeabiari, said the community had named two sites after Wike: Wike Road at Enelechi Phase 1 and the Wike Sandfield. Speaking for the stakeholders, Prof. Lucky Worika said Wike’s years as Rivers State governor and his current role in Abuja had brought “unprecedented” federal presence to Ogu-Bolo.

He thanked Tinubu and Wike for federal appointments for the area’s sons and daughters. He named Alabo Boma Iyaye as Executive Director of Finance and Administration at the NDDC, Dame Maureen Tamuno as Managing Director of the Abuja Investment Company, and Senator George Sekibo as Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal Oil and Gas Polytechnic. According to Worika, Iyaye’s placement at the NDDC has unlocked 19 major ongoing interventions across the LGA.

They include the reconstruction of Ogu General Hospital with a 70kVA solar power station, the Ele/Opu-ama Link Road, the Kira/Bolo Road, and internal roads and streetlights in Ogu and Bolo. He said others are sand-filling projects, low-cost housing estates, teachers’ quarters in secondary schools in Ogu, Bolo and Wakama-Ama, scholarships, free medical missions and youth skill acquisition programmes.

Worika also recalled Wike’s earlier work as governor and as Minister of State for Education. He listed the reconstruction of GSS Ogu, the