The 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has responded to remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, suggesting that Atiku would not be allowed to secure the party’s presidential ticket in 2027.
During a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike claimed that Atiku had no chance of becoming the PDP’s presidential candidate again.
Wike also alleged that Atiku was actively lobbying within the party to gain another shot at the ticket, but he asserted that the opportunity would not be granted, saying, “He is lobbying for another chance, but the chance will not be there. In which party? How can we rely on one man for so many years?”
In response, Atiku, through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, dismissed Wike’s remarks, suggesting that Wike would have awarded the party’s presidential ticket to himself if he had the authority.
Shaibu reminded the public of Atiku’s strong performance against Wike and his allies during previous elections, stating, “If he had the power to distribute presidential tickets like party favors, he’d certainly have kept one for himself. After all, Atiku thoroughly schooled him and his chosen protégé in his backyard ahead of the 2019 election and then handed him a resounding defeat in the 2023 primaries in Abuja.”
Shaibu criticized Wike’s apparent focus on the 2027 elections while national issues remain unaddressed. He questioned the minister’s motivations, pointing out Wike’s recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s chances for 2027, despite being preoccupied with PDP’s candidate selection.
Shaibu emphasized, “Isn’t it too early in the day for that? Our focus should be on the real issues—the worsening conditions of living for Nigerians. This hunger is becoming unbearable; it’s what we should be addressing, not political maneuvers for 2027.”
