The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s prospects of securing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the 2027 general election, asserting that Atiku’s time has passed.
During a live media session on Wednesday in Abuja, Wike insisted that Atiku has had multiple opportunities to present his vision to Nigerians, only to face repeated rejection.
“Did he (Atiku) not present it (blueprint) before Nigerians? Did Nigerians choose him? He is lobbying for another chance. The chance will not be there. In which party? How can we use one man for how many years?” Wike questioned.
Atiku, a two-time presidential candidate of the PDP, recently claimed that if he had won, his leadership approach would have spared Nigerians from the hardships they now face under President Bola Tinubu.
In response, Wike dismissed Atiku’s claims, noting, “You presented your blueprint in 2023, Nigerians heard you clear and said thank you, but it will not work, we will not support you.”
Drawing a comparison to U.S. politics, Wike argued that criticisms of a candidate don’t always equate to strong opposition, saying, “Look at America…Americans were thinking about something else, thinking for the good of their own country made a decision.”
