- The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, boldly asserted that the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, will not secure up to 10 percent of the total votes in Rivers State during the upcoming 2027 elections.
- Replying through his media aide, Atiku fired back on Monday, reminding Wike that the electorate of Rivers State are highly independent-minded citizens and not political slaves to be allocated at will.
- The former Vice President noted that the hostile comments from the former governor only highlight a growing panic within the pro-Tinubu political circle regarding the emergence of a formidable opposition coalition under the ADC platform.
The political battle lines for the 2027 presidential race have been drawn deeper as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, launched a scathing counter-attack against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the war of words stems from an declaration made by Wike on Saturday during a political luncheon held in honor of the “Rainbow Coalition” candidates in Rivers State.
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At the event, the former Rivers State Governor boasted that neither Atiku nor the ADC would manage to win even 10 percent of the total votes cast in the South-South state during the next general election.
He further declared that no gubernatorial candidate outside of his preferred coalition alignment would have any path to victory in the state.
Reacting via an official statement released on Monday, June 1, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed the minister’s claims as both disturbing and arrogant.
The former Vice President chided Wike for speaking as though the entire voting population of Rivers State were his personal property.
Shaibu’s statement strongly asserted that the people of Rivers State are highly intelligent, independent, and fully capable of deciding their political future based on their personal realities and the desires they hold for their children, rather than bowing to external dictates.
According to the ADC candidate, Wike’s aggressive public predictions merely expose a deep-seated panic within the ruling political camp, sparked by the steady momentum of the formidable opposition coalition rallying behind the ADC banner.
Atiku emphasized that no singular political figure, regardless of their local influence or back-door access to federal power, holds the power to decide how an entire state will cast its ballots.
The statement concluded by noting that ordinary Nigerians are far more concerned with pressing survival issues, such as the soaring cost of living, severe economic hardships, and widespread national insecurity, than the endless electioneering of a minister who has seemingly abandoned actual governance for perpetual political warfare.
