Atiku can’t be trusted, Wike tells Rivers voters

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has questioned the credibility of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, saying he can’t be trusted.

Wike and the former VP were both members of the Peoples Democratic Party before the 2023 elections.

Both men contested the PDP presidential ticket at the party’s primary election, which was later won by Abubakar.

Wike, who remains a PDP member, currently serves as the FCT minister under President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress-led administration. However, Abubakar currently vies for Nigeria’s presidential seat, contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

On Tuesday, the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition unveiled its preferred candidates for the 2027 general elections in Rivers State, drawing support from the APC and PDP members,

The event was held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Speaking at the event, Wike questioned whether any opposition party had a meaningful presence in Rivers State.

“There’s nothing wrong with that; people inviting you to go to a nightclub. I’m aware some people may have put themselves together for the sake that; ‘Look, it will not be proper for all of us to be in one political party. Let them go and see whether they can get something from the other side.’ That does not mean that such a party exists in Rivers State.”

The FCT minister further said, “Now we are talking about ADC. Who wants to run as president under ADC? Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“Do you know him?” Wike asked, as the crowd responded, “No.”

“I pray you never know him,” he advised.

Wike said, “I ran together with him in the 2022 presidential primaries. I have known him since 2019. I was one of the biggest sponsors for that presidential election. He is not a man that you can go to the bank with his words. He tells you one thing in the morning; he tells you another thing in the afternoon. He tells you something in the evening; the next morning he tells you a different thing.”