The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has revealed the rationale behind his strong opposition to Atiku Abubakar’s presidential candidacy in 2023.
Wike stated that his resistance to Atiku was entirely grounded in principle, refuting allegations that it stemmed from not being selected as the former Vice President’s running mate.
Beyond his consistent advocacy for power rotation, Wike asserted that Atiku lacked credibility as a politician.
“I wanted power rotation, I could not have imagined that after eight years of Buhari, power goes to north again. It is not about whether you chose to field me or not, it’s about principle. To take that decision was difficult and a decision has to be taken and I looked at it, Atiku was not an option, so, he is a no go area,” Wike said.
The erstwhile Rivers State Governor elaborated that the primary basis for opposing Atiku’s candidacy was his lack of honesty.
“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,” Wike claimed.
Referencing how Atiku, Saraki, and Secondus purportedly misled him in 2019, Wike noted that he was aware from the outset that Atiku would not select him as his running mate. He (Wike) has never relied on the former Vice President’s promises.
“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 know when the legal team was constituted, and I laughed; I watched it on television, and I now called Saraki; you people have constituted a legal team, and you said I was going to bring 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,” Wike said.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
