The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, vowed on Wednesday he would derail former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential bid.
The former governor was reacting to a statement credited to Atiku on the selection process for his 2023 running mate.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the last presidential election had stated that he had no regrets picking the former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa instead of Wike as running mate in the last election.
He said a committee had recommended three potential running mates, Okowa, Wike, and former Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, before he ultimately picked Okowa.
In a statement posted on X platform on Tuesday, his media aide, Lere Olayinka, the minister dismissed Atiku’s comments and asserted that heharbored no regrets over the failed vice-presidential nomination.
Wike insisted that he played a key role in Atiku’s 2023 election defeat and vowed that history would repeat itself in 2027.
The statement read: “Two years after making the @OfficialPDPNig lose a presidential election it could have won, @atiku is giving reasons he did not pick @GovWike as his running mate and that he has no regrets.
“Someone should tell our serial presidential election contester that Wike also has no regret for ensuring that he failed in the election and will make sure that he fails again and again.”
Atiku, who has run for the presidency six times without success, recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the 2027 general elections.
The development has sparked speculation about who will emerge as the alliance’s presidential candidate, with former Labour Party standard-bearer Peter Obi and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai being mentioned as key figures in the movement.
When asked if he planned to run again in 2027, Atiku remained noncommittal, stating that building a formidable political platform was the immediate priority.
“I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy,” he said. However, he did not rule out another attempt at the presidency.
“I have not seen Nigeria in such dire need of experienced and credible leadership as it is now,” Atiku added, hinting at his continued interest in the nation’s top office.
