By Charles Pemu 
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has launched a trenchant critique of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of chronic political inconsistency and a desperate obsession with attaining the presidency an ambition Wike described as unbecoming for someone approaching octogenarian status.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike derided Atiku’s long history of political realignments, arguing that his frequent defections across Nigeria’s major political parties were motivated solely by his unrelenting, and increasingly futile, bid to occupy Aso Rock.
“Atiku was in the PDP in 1999, left for the Action Congress (AC), returned to the PDP, jumped ship to the APC, and then came back to the PDP all in pursuit of the same goal: the presidency,” Wike remarked with visible disdain. “Now he’s off again this time to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). At almost 80, this is nothing short of a political farce.”
Taking a personal jab, the FCT minister added pointedly: “If I were his son, I’d be forced to sit him down and say, ‘Dad, this is no longer dignified. Why keep hopping from one party to another at your age?’”
Wike’s remarks were triggered by Atiku’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move widely interpreted as part of a nascent opposition coalition taking shape ahead of the 2027 general election. Atiku’s departure has sparked speculation about his potential presidential bid outside the traditional party structures.
But Wike, himself a long-time PDP stalwart now aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed Atiku’s latest political maneuver as nothing more than opportunistic survivalism cloaked in the language of coalition-building.
“He knows the PDP is no longer willing to hand him the ticket,” Wike stated. “So, he engineers a supposed coalition. Not for ideology, not for national interest but simply because he sees the PDP platform closing in on him. It’s self-serving.”
Wike concluded by casting doubt on the viability of any opposition alliance that hinges on the ambitions of a man he perceives as politically transient and ideologically rootless. “Nigeria’s future cannot rest on the shoulders of someone who sees political parties as mere vehicles for personal gain,” he said.
With the 2027 election cycle already showing signs of fragmentation and strategic repositioning, Wike’s remarks may signal deepening fault lines not only within the opposition camp but also within the broader structure of Nigerian political loyalty.