The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his recent comment that Atiku will not secure up to ten per cent of the votes in Rivers State during next year's general elections. The former governor of Rivers State had declared that Atiku and the ADC would fail to achieve ten per cent of the total votes cast in the 2027 presidential election within the South South state. Wike made these remarks during a luncheon held on Saturday to honor candidates of the Rainbow Coalition for the 2027 elections in the state. According to the minister, no candidate from any other political party would emerge victorious in the 2027 governorship election except the individual agreed upon by his Rainbow coalition.
Reacting through a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President maintained that the electorate in Rivers State possesses the intelligence required to determine the outcome of elections in their state. He argued that no single individual, irrespective of their level of influence or access to federal authority, possesses the power to dictate how an entire state should cast their ballots. Atiku further noted that the assertions of the minister merely revealed the escalating anxiety within the political camp of President Bola Tinubu regarding the emergence of a strong opposition alliance under the platform of the ADC.
The ADC flagbearer added that it was both amusing and worrisome that Wike currently speaks as if the voters in Rivers State are his private property to be distributed according to his whims. The statement noted, “Rivers vote are not your property. The people of Rivers State are not political slaves. They are intelligent, independent-minded Nigerians who will make their choices based on the realities confronting them and the future they desire for their children. No individual, regardless of influence or access to federal power, can dictate how an entire state will vote.” Atiku concluded that Nigerians are currently more preoccupied with the skyrocketing cost of living, deteriorating security conditions, and severe economic challenges rather than the electoral forecasts of a minister who has seemingly neglected his governance duties for endless electioneering campaigns.
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