“If I Were His Son, I’d Advise Him” — Wike Criticises Atiku Over Serial Defections

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for his frequent defections between political parties, describing them as acts of desperation driven by a relentless ambition to become president.

Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike questioned Atiku’s political consistency and described his repeated party switches as unbecoming, particularly for someone nearing 80 years of age. He recounted Atiku’s movement across parties, noting that he started with the PDP in 1999, then joined the Action Congress (AC), returned to the PDP, moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and later returned to the PDP again all in pursuit of the presidential ticket.

Wike took a personal jab, saying that if he were Atiku’s son, he would advise him to stop hopping from one party to another at his age. His comments followed Atiku’s recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as part of a developing opposition coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

The minister dismissed the move as political survival, stating that Atiku only sought a coalition because he could not secure the PDP presidential ticket. He argued that forming a coalition under such circumstances was insincere and politically opportunistic.

Wike’s remarks come amid growing realignments and tensions within the opposition ahead of the next electoral cycle.