By Ayomide Otitoju
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will ensure former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, fails in any future bid for the presidency.
Wike, speaking through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, on Wednesday, stated that he has no regrets about Atiku’s decision to overlook him as a running mate during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.
The political rift between Wike and Atiku dates back to the contentious PDP primaries of 2022, where Wike had expected to be chosen as Atiku’s vice-presidential candidate. However, Atiku opted for former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Addressing the decision in an interview with Adesina Giwa-Osagie, Atiku said he had left the selection process to the party. “In 2019, I was accused of not consulting widely before picking Peter Obi as my running mate. So in 2023, I asked the party to set up a committee to recommend three names. The committee ranked Okowa first, Wike second, and former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel third,” Atiku explained.
In response, Wike’s camp dismissed Atiku’s comments, with Olayinka stating: “Someone should tell our serial presidential election contender that Wike has no regrets for ensuring his defeat in 2023 and will make sure he fails again and again.”
