2027: Obasanjo’s Verdict On Atiku, Amaechi’s Entry Complicate ADC Ticket – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to account for his eight years in office, urging Nigerians to consider former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assessment of his former deputy as the 2027 presidential election approaches.

Wike also argued that the entry of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had complicated the party’s presidential ticket, questioning its capacity to provide a credible alternative to President Bola Tinubu.

The minister spoke on Thursday during a Rainbow Coalition meeting in Oyigbo local government area of Rivers State, where he questioned Atiku’s record as vice-president between 1999 and 2007, particularly his role in the Federal Government’s privatisation programme.

“Atiku was vice-president from 1999 to 2007. How many years? He was not just a vice-president, but a very powerful vice-president. He was in charge of privatisation and everything concerning companies and industries owned by the government,” Wike said.

Wike, who disclosed that he had contested a presidential primary against Atiku, urged Nigerians to assess the former vice-president’s performance in office rather than focus on his repeated bids for the presidency.

“Can anybody tell me, do you see the impact of Atiku Abubakar? No!” he asked.

He also referred to Obasanjo’s past criticism of Atiku, including the former president’s reported expression of regret over supporting his former deputy’s emergence as vice-president.

Wike argued that Obasanjo’s assessment of their political relationship should form part of the scrutiny of Atiku’s record as he seeks the presidency again in 2027.

The FCT minister also questioned the credibility of the ADC as a platform for challenging Tinubu, arguing that the entry of Amaechi into the party had further complicated the contest for its presidential ticket.

He challenged political stakeholders to examine the records of both Atiku and Amaechi, citing projects and financial transactions during Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers State governor from 2007 to 2015.

Wike questioned the reported expenditure of $10 million on a mosquito-control programme, $39 million on a proposed specialist hospital and N68 billion on a monorail project, demanding explanations about the outcomes of the initiatives.

He also sought clarification on the proceeds from the reported sale of a gas turbine in December 2014 for $308 million.

“Where is the $308 million? Where is the $39 million? Where is the N68 billion? And where is the $10 million for fumigation?” he asked.

The minister maintained that Nigerians should hold political officeholders accountable for their records and demand explanations for public expenditure before considering them for higher responsibilities.

The allegations against Atiku and Amaechi were made by Wike at the political meeting and were not independently verified in the information available for this report.

Earlier, the zonal director of the Post Primary Schools Board, Chimereze Nworgo, said the people of Ogbia Local Government Area continued to appreciate the security and infrastructure interventions associated with Wike’s tenure as Rivers State governor.

Nworgo cited the construction of the Ogbia-Nembe Road, improved connectivity, the establishment of a model secondary school and recognition of traditional institutions as some of the interventions he said had benefited the community.

He also commended Wike’s support for the political representation of Ogbia indigenes at the national level, including Ambassador Desmond Eji Akawu.

While reaffirming the community’s political support for Wike, Nworgo appealed for additional interventions in road construction and rehabilitation, a general hospital, the renovation of dilapidated schools, youth employment and empowerment programmes, and more political appointments for Ogbia indigenes at the state and federal levels.

He said the community’s endorsement did not mean that all its development needs had been met, but reflected its willingness to sustain engagement with Wike in pursuit of its aspirations.

The chairman of Oyigbo local government area, Okechukwu Akara Nwaogu, also presented a gift to Wike on behalf of the council in recognition of his position as FCT minister and leader of the Rainbow Coalition.