Why I Opposed Atiku’s 2023 Presidential Bid — Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed the real reason behind his opposition to Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in the 2023 general election.

Speaking in a recent interview, Wike dismissed claims that his fallout with the former Vice President was rooted in Atiku’s failure to pick him as his running mate.

According to the former Rivers State Governor, his decision was based on principle and a deep-seated belief in power rotation.

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Wike argued that after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure, it was only fair for power to shift to the South.

He described any arrangement that kept power in the North as unjust, regardless of personal political gains.

“I wanted power rotation; I could not have imagined that after eight years of Buhari, power would remain in the North. It is not about whether I was chosen as a running mate or not; it’s about principle. Atiku was simply not an option,” Wike stated.

When asked whether Atiku’s refusal to select him as running mate influenced his decision, Wike insisted the issue never arose, as he was never selected in the first place.

“He never dropped me as his running mate because he didn’t pick me,” Wike clarified.

Beyond the power rotation argument, the FCT Minister accused Atiku of lacking integrity. He recalled previous dealings with the former Vice President, particularly during the 2019 election cycle, which, according to him, shattered any trust he once had.

Wike recounted how Atiku, alongside former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, allegedly promised him the opportunity to nominate key figures for the attorney general and petroleum ministerial positions — a promise he claimed was never fulfilled.

“In 2019, Atiku, Saraki and Secondus came to see me and assured me I would nominate the Attorney General and Minister of Petroleum. But when the legal team was constituted, the person I was meant to nominate wasn’t even informed. I only saw it on television,” Wike narrated.

The former governor concluded that he has never trusted Atiku’s words since that experience.

“I know from day one that Atiku will never keep to his words and I’ve never banked on that. I won’t take his words to the bank,” he said.