The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has opened up on why he firmly opposed Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in 2023, insisting it was not about personal interest but about principle
Wike dismissed claims that his opposition to Atiku stemmed from not being picked as his running mate. According to him, the decision was rooted in his belief in power rotation and his distrust of Atiku’s integrity.
“I wanted power rotation, I could not have imagined that after eight years of Buhari, power goes to the North again. It is not about whether you chose to field me or not, it’s about principle,” Wike said. “To take that decision was difficult and a decision had to be taken. I looked at it—Atiku was not an option, so he was a no-go area.”
When asked if Atiku dropped him as running mate, Wike clarified, “He never dropped me as his running mate because he picked me.”
Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State, also accused Atiku of dishonesty, revealing that his distrust dates back to events during the 2019 election.
“Let me tell you from day one, I told my delegates when they came that one thing you must know is that Atiku does not keep to his words,” he said.
He recalled how Atiku, Bukola Saraki, and Uche Secondus allegedly misled him in 2019.
“I can tell you authoritatively what happened. In 2019, Atiku, Saraki, and Secondus came to see me that I was going to nominate the Attorney General and Minister of Petroleum. When we lost the election, the man who was supposed to bring the Attorney General did not even know when the legal team was constituted.
“I laughed when I watched it on television. I called Saraki and said, ‘You people have constituted a legal team and you said I was going to bring the Attorney General.’ I know from day one that Atiku will never keep to his words, and I’ve never banked on that. I will not take his words to the bank.”
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