The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to his aspirations to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during a media interaction in Abuja on Monday, Wike criticized Atiku’s frequent changes in political allegiance since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999. According to him, these movements were largely motivated by Atiku’s continuous quest to become Nigeria’s president.
“Atiku was in the PDP in 1999, then he joined the Action Congress (AC). After AC, he returned to the PDP, later moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and then back to the PDP again, all in pursuit of the presidential ticket,” Wike remarked.
He further made a pointed comment, saying, “If I were his son, I would sit him down and ask, ‘Dad, how can you keep hopping from one party to another at almost 80 years old?”
During the media session, the former governor of Rivers State also played down the significance of the opposition coalition being proposed against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He suggested that Atiku’s withdrawal from the PDP was prompted by an internal realization that he no longer had the party’s support to clinch the presidential ticket.
“The way the PDP is now, it is not likely that Atiku would get a ticket, therefore it is not comfortable. Therefore, he tells you, let’s do a coalition against Tinubu. It’s not right.
“It is because he cannot get the presidential ticket under the PDP that he pushed for a coalition,” Wike stated.
What you should know
Nyesom Wike, the current FCT Minister and a former PDP stalwart, has long been a vocal critic of Atiku Abubakar’s political strategies.
His latest remarks highlight the internal rifts within Nigeria’s major opposition party as the 2027 elections approach, underscoring concerns over leadership instability and strategic alliances.
