In a fiery political exchange, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) have launched a scathing attack on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of being a political turncoat sabotaging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and betraying the interests of the Nigerian people.
The backlash follows Wike’s dismissal of the emerging opposition coalition spearheaded by Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, which is seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Wike, during a television interview monitored by SaharaReporters on Friday, derided the coalition as a congregation of selfish power seekers, claiming, “Everybody wants to become president of the country. Nobody wants to build the party into a formidable opposition that can truly challenge the ruling APC.”
Reacting, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, blasted Wike for what he described as “hypocrisy laced with political mischief,” saying the former Rivers State governor lacks the moral standing to question anyone’s sincerity.
“Wike is the least qualified person to speak on sincerity. This is a man who stabbed his own party in the back, who has aligned himself with the APC—the very entity he once demonized—all in a bid to serve his personal ambitions,” Ibe fired.
He didn’t stop there. In a dramatic swipe, Ibe described President Tinubu as “an absentee leader running Nigeria from the Presidential Villa’s WhatsApp group,” and dared Wike to advise his principal to return home and confront the monumental challenges facing the country.
“Instead of attacking patriots determined to rescue Nigeria from economic ruin and insecurity, Wike should direct his energy toward asking Tinubu to govern in person, not by proxy. Nigerians are not fooled. They see who is sincere and who is playing a dangerous game of deception,” he added.
Ibe also accused Wike of continuing his betrayal in his home state of Rivers by allegedly orchestrating moves to destabilize the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whom he helped install.
“He’s a power-hungry manipulator using Abuja’s machinery to hold Rivers State hostage. He’s doing everything possible to control the state remotely, and he’s not even subtle about it,” Ibe fumed.
Meanwhile, the CUPP’s National Secretary, Peter Ahmeh, echoed Atiku’s sentiments, branding Wike as a political opportunist doing the bidding of the ruling party at the expense of democratic ideals.
“Wike is an APC pawn masquerading as an opposition figure. He has zero credibility left and should not be taken seriously by any Nigerian who wants genuine change,” Ahmeh asserted.
He insisted that the coalition represents a real chance to liberate Nigeria from the grips of misrule and economic hardship, stressing that the initiative is bigger than any individual ambition.
“This is a people’s movement—a vehicle to restore hope and rebuild a nation battered by incompetence. Those involved, including Atiku, are not driven by personal ambition but by the collective desire to save Nigeria,” he concluded.
As 2027 looms, the battle lines are being drawn—and with voices like Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai converging against Tinubu’s reign, the political terrain promises to be more turbulent than ever.
PIONEER NEWS 