Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has questioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s persistent presidential ambitions, highlighting his history of switching political parties in pursuit of electoral office.
Speaking during a media parley reported by Channels TV from 1:26, Wike traced Atiku’s political journey across multiple parties and election cycles, suggesting an unhealthy obsession with the presidency. “Look at the man’s history: in 1999, he was in PDP. In 2007, he ran under Congress. In 2011, he returned to PDP to run for a senatorial district. He left in 2014 and joined APC, where he ran for the presidency. In 2017, he came back to PDP and became the candidate in 2019. Again, he became the candidate in 2023. Now, Atiku has left for ADC to run for president, did they prescribe a presidency drug for him?” Wike asked sarcastically.
The FCT Minister’s comments came amid reports of Atiku’s involvement with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, which many observers see as positioning for another presidential bid in 2027.
The FCT Minister argued that Atiku was unaware that his former boss signed the emergency regulation in 2004. He suggested that if Atiku had been obedient and worked closely with the president, he would have known that the president has the authority to make regulations for governing emergency areas.
The Minister faulted Atiku for being out of touch and lacking knowledge on the matter, advising that people should avoid commenting on subjects they do not understand. He drew a comparison, stating that while he would defer to Atiku’s expertise on customs matters given his background in that field, the current issue involves law.
