‘I Didn’t Betray Wike, We Were All Running For Presidency’, Tambuwal Clarifies

Former Sokoto State governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal, has denied claims of betrayal in his political relationship with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, insisting that their presidential ambitions were independent.

Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ on Friday night, Tambuwal said he bore no grudge against Wike and had not gone back on any agreement with him.

“I have nothing against Wike, I did not betray anybody. It is when you have an understanding with somebody and you go against it that you betray the person,” Tambuwal stated.

He explained that his presidential ambition predated Wike’s by almost a decade, making it clear that both men were merely contenders in the same political race.

“I was also running, he met me in the race. I was running for president of Nigeria. I was in contention from 2012/2013. My friend Nyesom Wike was not in contention then. I was in contention in the political calculus of Nigeria for the presidency of Nigeria since then. He joined for the presidency of Nigeria in 2022, so who met who in the race?” he queried.

Tambuwal further argued that Wike was fully aware of his long-standing ambition before entering the contest himself.

“He gave me the indication, but he met me in the race. He knew that I was running,” Tambuwal added.

The former House of Representatives Speaker’s comments came against the backdrop of lingering tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where his alliance with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2022 presidential primaries sparked accusations of betrayal against him.