By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he is encouraging former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to contest the 2027 presidential election, noting, however, that he would not win.
Wike stated this during a routine inspection of infrastructure projects in Kuje and other parts of the FCT on Thursday, April 16.
He sarcastically said he would encourage Atiku to continue contesting elections despite his age, insisting that the 2027 presidential election was out of reach.
“I encourage him to run. It seems that is the only way he stays relevant. But 2027 is not available for him,” he said.
Wike’s comments come hours after Atiku, who has contested the presidency six times, said the 2027 presidential election would be his last outing considering his age.
During an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, April 15, Atiku also stated that President Bola Tinubu’s government had failed to ease Nigerians’ hardship.
In response to Atiku’s comments, Wike challenged the former vice president to compare his record in office with ongoing developments in the FCT.
He said, “At a certain age, one should be able to look at facts objectively. He lives in the FCT; let him compare the FCT of today to the eight years when he was vice president.
“We have been in office for less than three years, yet the transformation is clear. Nigerians would laugh at anyone suggesting nothing is being done.”
The FCT minister further questioned Atiku’s credibility, invoking remarks previously made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom Atiku worked with as vice president.
“His own boss, President Obasanjo, publicly described him as a failure and questioned his character. Why should I bother replying to someone whose own principal attached the tag of corruption to him?” Wike said.
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On the allegations by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that he attempted to revoke the licence of the Rainbow Event Centre in Garki to frustrate the party’s planned national convention, Wike described the claims as false.
He questioned the timeline presented by the party, noting that a request allegedly submitted on April 7 for a convention scheduled for April 14, without follow-up until the eve of the event, suggested a deliberate attempt to implicate the FCT administration.
Wike also noted that the ADC, with such opposition bigwigs as Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Nasir El-Rufai, is not a strong opposition coalition and cannot win the presidency in 2027.
“They say El-Rufai and Obi are there, so it is a strong opposition. Watch and see; the PDP will still be stronger than the ADC.
“In the last FCT elections, the ADC couldn’t even win a single councillorship. How do they intend to win the country?” he said.
