The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, alongside the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has come down hard on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of betrayal and of actively working to sabotage the PDP and the interests of Nigerians.
Their reaction followed Wike’s media chat in Abuja on Friday, where he dismissed the credibility of the coalition formed to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s reelection. Wike insisted that the alliance lacked sincerity, claiming that its leaders were motivated by personal ambition.
“Those looking for a coalition are doing so for selfish interests, the likes of Atiku and other people. Which coalition, with whom?” Wike asked.
“Why not come in to repair your party? Everybody wants to become president of the country, nobody wants to say, look, let me build our party so that at the end of the day, our party will be in a formidable position as an opposition party to take over power.”
“You don’t do that, the only thing you want to do is ‘let me find a way; how I will be the one.’ And if that does not happen, then it’s to your tent, oh Israel,” he added.
Wike was referring to the March 20, 2025 announcement by Atiku, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, declaring a coalition designed to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In response, Atiku, through his media aide Paul Ibe, dismissed Wike’s criticism and questioned his moral standing to speak on matters of integrity.
“Wike is not in a position to talk about sincerity. This is a man who betrayed his party, a man working with the APC to destroy and undermine his own party and the interests of Nigerians. So, what does he know about sincerity? Nothing.”
“If he wants to speak on sincerity, let him talk to his principal, Tinubu, an absentee President running government from the Presidential Villa’s WhatsApp group. Wike should be sincere to President Tinubu to return home and do his job.”
He continued, “Wike is not in a position to talk to anybody. Wike is working against his own state where he was once governor.”
“He is trying to ensure he has absolute control of the government in Rivers, working in cahoots with Abuja to get the governor suspended. It is unfortunate that they just open their filthy mouths and speak on things they know nothing about.”
As for the coalition’s goal, Ibe reiterated its relevance: “The sincere Nigerians are determined to end the reckless, irresponsible, clueless APC government. Nigerians want to reclaim their country.”
“The coalition presents Nigerians with a vehicle. Atiku Abubakar and others who are involved in it are just tools to an end. This is about Nigeria.”
Also weighing in, the National Secretary of the CUPP, Peter Ahmeh, dismissed Wike’s comments entirely.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY GAZETTE, Ahmeh, a known ally of Peter Obi, accused the FCT Minister of aligning with the ruling APC to suppress opposition.
“Wike is doing the APC’s bidding. He’s working in the APC government and aiming to support an APC president in 2027.”
“He wants to discredit the coalition because it seeks to democratically remove President Tinubu, his principal. His actions go against the interest of suffering Nigerians, simply to protect his position — a clear reflection of how selfish Wike is.”
Ahmeh further questioned Wike’s credibility: “And people cannot use Wike’s statement as a reference for sincerity.”
“Because you cannot tell me, that if you do proper research now, you won’t find several contradictions in what Wike had said—how he claimed he would never go to the APC, never move to this one, never work with that one. There are contradictions.”
“So, we don’t take Wike seriously and nobody should. Because if there’s anybody today who has been selfish about his interest over Nigeria, who has said one thing, meant another, and done something else, it is Wike himself.”
