KEY POINTS

• FCT Minister Nyesom Wike dismisses Atiku’s chances for 2027 presidential bid.
• Wike criticizes PDP leadership for internal divisions and inefficiency.
• PDP faces challenges ahead of 2027 elections

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike on Wednesday dismissed any possibility of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar securing the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential ticket in 2027, citing past election results and internal party concerns. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Wike questioned Atiku’s relevance to the party’s future, suggesting that Nigerians had already rejected his proposed economic blueprint in the 2023 elections.

“Did Nigerians choose him?” Wike said. “He’s lobbying for another chance, but the chance won’t be there. We can’t keep relying on one man.” Wike compared Atiku’s repeated bids to that of former U.S. President Donald Trump, noting that leaders must adapt rather than persist with the same approach after rejection by voters.

FCT minister Wike condemns PDP leadership structure

Wike went on to critique the PDP’s internal leadership, calling out Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for allegedly breaching the party’s traditional practice of alternating chairmanship roles in the PDP Governors’ Forum between the North and South. 

Wike accused Mohammed and others of “treachery,” asserting that they conspired to retain the chairmanship in the north, which he deemed an “infantile ambition.”

“When [Governor] Tambuwal finishes as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, leadership would alternate regions,” Wike said. “But Bala and others conspired, retaining it in the North. If I were governor, this would not have happened.”

Criticisms over party unity, preparedness for elections

Wike criticized what he described as inefficiencies within the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), suggesting it lacked the readiness to serve as a viable opposition in future elections. 

He argued that leadership lapses and a lack of strategic unity could jeopardize the party’s plans for upcoming elections in key states like Ondo.

Wike’s remarks come amid intensifying rifts within the PDP as leaders contend with factional divisions ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

His comments highlight unresolved disputes about unity and direction as Nigeria’s leading opposition party prepares for the next electoral cycle.