Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a credible coalition force, while taking a direct swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of serial defections across political parties in pursuit of presidential ambition.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike criticized Atiku’s alleged pattern of switching parties ahead of every election cycle, insisting that the former vice president’s recent association with ADC does not qualify as a coalition.
“How is ADC a coalition? These are people that all their political history, they have been known for decamping from one party to another,” Wike said.
He further questioned Atiku’s political consistency, recalling the former vice president’s journey from the PDP under President Obasanjo, to Action Congress (AC), back to PDP, then to APC, and once again returning to the PDP.
“If I’m his son, I will sit him down and say ‘Dad, for whatever it’s worth, how can you tell me that you have made this history of jumping from one party to another till you are almost 70 years, how?’” Wike remarked.
The minister argued that Atiku’s frequent party switches are not driven by ideology or national interest but by the personal ambition to secure a presidential ticket. He claimed that Atiku’s chances of clinching the PDP presidential ticket in 2027 are slim under the party’s current configuration.
“The way the PDP is now, he can’t get the presidential ticket, so he goes and joins the coalition,” Wike said.
He questioned the motive behind what he termed a rescue narrative, asking: “Rescue what? Who has sank? You were VP for eight years and chairman of the National Economic Council. So what happened?”
Wike also took a jab at the idea of coalition-building in Nigerian politics, describing it as a repetitive game played by politicians who move from party to party with no solid ideological base.
