Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed to frustrate any future presidential ambitions of former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Wike’s statement, issued through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, was in response to Atiku’s recent comments on his choice of a running mate in the 2023 election.
In an interview with journalist Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, Atiku stated that he had “no regrets” about not selecting Wike as his running mate, explaining that he had allowed the PDP to decide.
“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate, so in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names,” Atiku said.
According to him, the committee ranked former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the top choice, Wike second, and former Akwa Ibom governor Udom Emmanuel third.
“So I picked number one,” Atiku added.
Reacting to Atiku’s remarks, Olayinka emphasized that Wike had no regrets about the outcome and remained determined to ensure Atiku’s continued political defeats.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Olayinka wrote: “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 regrets for ensuring that he failed in the election and will make sure that he fails again and again,” he stated.
The rivalry between Wike and Atiku has been ongoing since the controversial PDP primaries in 2022, where Wike lost the party’s ticket to Atiku and was subsequently overlooked for the vice-presidential slot in favor of Okowa.
