The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed the reason he vehemently opposed Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in 2023.
Contrary to the claim that his anti-Atiku stand ahead of the 2023 election was because the former Vice President didn’t pick him as his running mate, Wike said his decision to oppose Atiku was solely based on principle.
Apart from his persistent call for power rotation, Wike claimed Atiku was not a trustworthy politician.
“I wanted power rotation, I could not have imagined that after eight years of Buhari, power goes to north again. It is not about whether you chose to field me or not, it’s about principle. To take take that decision was difficult and a decision has to be taken and I looked at it, Atiku was not an option, so, he is a no go area,” he said.
When asked if Atiku stopped being an option after the ex-VP decided to drop him as his running mate, Wike said, “He never dropped me as his running mate because he picked me.”
The former Governor of Rivers State explained that the main reason he opposed Atiku’s ambition was due to his dishonesty.
“Let me tell you from day one, I told my delegates when they came that one thing you must know is that Atiku does not keep to his words,” Wike claimed.
Citing how Atiku, Saraki and Secondus allegedly deceived him in 2019, Wike said he knew from day one that Atiku wouldn’t choose him as his running mate. He (Wike) has never banked on the ex-Vice President’s words.
“I can tell you authoritatively what happened. In 2019, Atiku, Saraki and Secondus came to see me that I was going to nominate the attorney general and minister of petroleum. When we lost the election, the man who was supposed to bring the attorney general did not know when the legal team was constituted, and I laughed; I watched it on television, and I now called Saraki; you people have constituted a legal team, and you said I was going to bring attorney general.
“I know from day one that Atiku will never keep to his words and I’ve never banked on that, I will not take his words to the bank,” Wike said.
