Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chief Nyesom Wike yesterday said the Atiku/Amaechi and Obi/Kwankwaso tickets cannot defeat the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in next year’s presidential election.
He dismissed the ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is running on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and his running mate, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, saying that they cannot fly.
He also assessed the chances of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, describing his moves as dead-on arrival.
Wike, who spoke during his monthly media chat, said the opposition candidates are no match for President Tinubu.
Defending the reforms of the administration, he said the reformist policies and programmes were necessary to reverse years of economic decline and lay the foundation for sustainable growth.
The former Rivers State governor maintained that Tinubu had demonstrated the political courage that previous administrations lacked by ending the petrol subsidy regime, which is a major drain on the nation’s resources.
Wike, who reflected on preparations for 2027 polls, dismissed the credentials of the leading opposition candidates, saying he preferred leaders whose actions matched their promises.
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The FCT minister accused Obi of playing “politics of sentiment,” adding that some of his public engagements were carefully choreographed to attract sympathy rather than reflect genuine leadership.
He said while serving as governor, he never sought public attention by celebrating birthdays in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps or orphanages.
Wike said: “I know Peter Obi very well. I don’t like people playing to the gallery. I never celebrated my birthdays in IDP camps or motherless babies’ homes simply because I wanted public sympathy.”
Wike also dismissed Atiku as an unserious candidate, saying that comments previoussly made by his former principal, President Olusegun Obasanjo, should serve as sufficient warning to Nigerians. NigerianEntrepreneur Support
He said: “The person who should give him the best testimonial has already warned Nigerians. What other testimony do you need?”
Wike described Amaechi as a “political liability” with no electoral value in Rivers State and the Southsouth.
The minister questioned the rationale for the choice of Atiku as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, saying that the selection could only be driven by financial considerations rather than the voting strength.
Wike stressed: “If you are choosing a vice-presidential candidate, a running mate, I’m sure the only factor that has been used to choose Rotimi Amaechi, may be, financial because the former governor lacks the capacity to deliver votes.”
The minister pointed out that Amaechi failed to secure significant votes in Rivers State in multiple election cycles despite holding high-profile positions.
He said: “He has never won a presidential election after 2011 when I was the Director of Campaign. Never. He was the Director-General of Buhari in 2015 when he was governor; why did he not get 25%?
“He was the DG in 2019 when he was a Super Minister; why did he not get 25%? He supported Atiku in 2023; how come he didn’t get 15%?”
