Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), would have given the party’s ticket to himself if he had the authority, according to Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 PDP presidential contender, on Thursday.
Wike’s statement that he would not be permitted to run for president of the PDP in 2027 prompted Atiku to respond.
According to reports, Wike stated that the former vice president has no chance in 2027 during a news conference held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Wike asserted that although Atiku was advocating for another chance to become the party’s flag bearer, he would not be granted it.
The Minister had stated: “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 reminded Wike of how he “schooled him and his protégé” during the 2019 election through Phrank Shaibu, his Special Assistant on Public Communication.
In an interview with reporters, Shaibu stated: “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 own backyard ahead of the 2019 election and then handed him a resounding defeat in the 2023 primaries in Abuja.
“Yet, despite his public proclamation that Tinubu is destined to win in 2027, here he is, obsessing over who gets to be the PDP’s candidate.
“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.”
