The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has responded strongly to recent remarks by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, rejecting criticisms directed at the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Wike spoke on Thursday while inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Kuje and other parts of the FCT. Addressing reporters, he dismissed Atiku’s claims made during a recent television appearance, where the former vice president argued that the current government had not sufficiently addressed economic hardship.
In his response, Wike urged Atiku to assess developments in the FCT by comparing current progress with what was achieved during his time in office as vice president.
“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,” Wike stated.
The minister went further to question Atiku’s credibility, referencing past comments made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“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?” he said.
Wike also addressed the possibility of Atiku contesting in the 2027 presidential election, suggesting that such a move would not change the political landscape.
“I encourage him to run. It seems that is the only way he stays relevant. But 2027 is not available for him,” he added.
Beyond his remarks on Atiku, the minister dismissed allegations by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which accused him of attempting to revoke the licence of the Rainbow Event Centre in Garki to disrupt its planned convention. Wike described the claim as baseless and questioned the timeline presented by the party.
He also downplayed the significance of a proposed opposition coalition reportedly involving figures such as Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Nasir El-Rufai, insisting it would not pose a serious challenge.
“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.
Wike concluded by urging opposition parties to prioritise resolving their internal issues rather than focusing on criticism of the current administration.
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar has indicated that the 2027 presidential election may be his final attempt, a statement he made during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday.
