Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted as FCT minister, Nyesom Wike said Nigerians will reject him if he he contest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 general elections.
Wike speaking during a live media parley in Abuja on Wednesday evening, declared that he has no chance of clinching the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the 2027 general election.
“Did he not present it (blueprint) before Nigerians? Did Nigerians choose him? He is lobbying for another chance. The chance will not be there,” Wike stated.
Atiku, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, had recently claimed that if elected, he would have handled the country’s affairs differently from President Bola Tinubu, avoiding the current economic hardship. However, Wike countered that Nigerians had already rejected Atiku’s blueprint.
Wike drew parallels with the United States, citing Americans’ decision to move beyond criticisms and choose a leader for the greater good.
“You presented your blueprint in 2023, Nigerians heard you clear and said thank you, but it will not work, we will not support you,” Wike emphasized.
However, Atiku in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritize governance over political strategizing for the 2027 presidential election.
He reminded Wike of his unsuccessful attempts to install his preferred candidate within the party since 2019.
Shaibu added, “If he had the power to distribute presidential tickets like party favors, he’d certainly have kept one for himself. Atiku schooled him and his chosen protégé in his own backyard in 2019 and then handed him a resounding defeat in the 2023 primaries in Abuja.”
Shaibu also questioned Wike’s focus on 2027, especially given his public support for Tinubu’s potential re-election, suggesting that Wike should prioritize the immediate challenges facing Nigerians.
People are struggling with rising costs and hunger; these are the issues we should be addressing, not political maneuvers for 2027,” Shaibu noted.
