Wike made the remarks while addressing traditional rulers, community leaders, youths and party supporters at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The event was organised under the Rainbow Coalition as part of efforts to mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.
Reacting to the alleged incident, Wike questioned Obi’s commitment to Nigeria, arguing that anyone seeking to become president should demonstrate respect for the country’s national symbols.
“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,” Wike said.
He further alleged that Obi’s actions suggested he did not identify with Nigeria and could pursue policies that would threaten the country’s unity if elected president.
The FCT minister maintained that anyone who disrespected the national anthem should not be allowed to occupy the nation’s highest political office.
“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 added.
