Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has declared that he will continue to oppose former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s bid to become Nigeria’s president. Wike made this statement through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, in response to Atiku’s recent comments about his choice of a running mate in the 2023 election.
Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently stated in an interview with Adesina Giwa-Osagie that he had “no regrets” about not selecting Wike as his running mate. He explained that he had allowed the party to decide, forming a committee to recommend three potential candidates.
“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 Atiku, the committee ranked former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the top choice, Wike as the second, and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel as the third. “So I picked number one,” he added.
Atiku’s decision led to tensions within the PDP, especially with Wike, who had been a strong contender for the vice-presidential slot. The conflict between both politicians dates back to the 2022 PDP primaries, where Atiku defeated Wike to secure the party’s presidential ticket. Many of Wike’s supporters expected him to be chosen as Atiku’s running mate, but the decision to select Okowa instead deepened divisions within the party.
Reacting to Atiku’s latest remarks, Olayinka stressed that Wike had no regrets about how events played out. He further stated that Wike remained determined to prevent Atiku from achieving his presidential ambition.
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 regret for ensuring that he failed in the election and will make sure that he fails again and again.”
