The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing them of political inconsistency and betrayal.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Wike dismissed Tambuwal’s earlier remarks about choosing Atiku over him in matters of leadership.
“What do you mean by leadership and friendship? You cannot talk about leadership and ignore the person,” Wike said.
“These are people who have been consistently inconsistent. When you are a consistent betrayer, what do you expect?
Wike further alleged that Tambuwal had positioned himself for a Senate role if Atiku had won the 2023 presidential election, adding that both men were known for switching parties for personal advantage.
On September 6, Tambuwal, who appeared on the same programme earlier in September, pledged loyalty to Atiku, stressing that his choices were guided by governance values rather than friendship.
According to him, his disagreements with politicians had always been ideological, as he continued to enjoy cordial relations with leaders across party lines.
When it comes to leadership of this country and leadership of the people, tomorrow, not even today, I would rather support Atiku than Nyesom Wike. It is a collaboration. It is not something difficult.
Once it is about being altruistic and nothing personal. You have never seen me going against President Bola Tinubu personally, you have never heard of me going against Nyesom Wike personally,” he said.
He insisted that his past disagreements with leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, were based on principles and ideology.
He explained, “We disagreed on principle, the way, and the direction things are going. I had no problem personally with Goodluck Jonathan, but we disagreed, and I left PDP for APC.”
The rift between Wike and key PDP leaders dates back to 2023, when Wike openly criticised Atiku, Tambuwal, and Bukola Saraki for abandoning zoning arrangements that could have favoured the South.
He also reminded viewers that he once supported Tambuwal’s bid for Speaker of the House of Representatives against the party’s preference.
Tambuwal, however, stressed that political disagreements should not be mistaken for personal hostility.
“If Atiku comes in here and Wike requests my phone, I will give it to him as a personal friend,” he added.
