The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 2023, Atiku Abubakar, fails in any future attempt to become Nigeria’s president.
Wike made the statement through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, in response to Atiku’s recent remarks about his choice of a running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
In a recent interview, Atiku said he had “no regrets” about not picking Wike as his running mate in the 2023 election. He was interviewed by Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie.
Atiku and Wike’s rivalry dates back to the controversial PDP primaries in 2022.
After losing the party’s presidential ticket to Atiku, Wike expected to be named vice-presidential candidate, but Atiku chose former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, instead.
Defending his decision, Atiku explained that he allowed the PDP to decide on his running mate.
“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate, so in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names,” Atiku said.
He added that the committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, Wike second, and former Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel, third.
“So I picked number one,” Atiku said.
