Friday, October 30, 2026 - The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised former vice-president Atiku Abubakar's time in office, contending that his period of service, particularly his assessment by his former President Olusegun Obasanjo, deserved to be thoroughly examined.
Wike stated this during a Rainbow Coalition gathering on
Thursday in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, challenging Atiku to
provide an accounting of his eight-year tenure as vice-president under former
President Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.
Wike, having previously contested a presidential primary
against Atiku, questioned the substantive outcomes of the former
vice-president's tenure, particularly his involvement in the federal
government's privatisation initiative.
"Atiku served as vice-president from 1999 to 2007. How
many years? He was not merely a vice-president, but a powerful vice-president.
He oversaw privatisation and all matters pertaining to government-owned
companies and industries," Wike stated.
He called upon Nigerians to evaluate Atiku's governmental
record rather than concentrate exclusively on his successive attempts to attain
the presidency, maintaining that his public service performance should
constitute a central component of discourse regarding his 2027 aspirations.
"Can anybody tell me, do you see the impact of Atiku
Abubakar? No!” he asked.
Wike additionally referenced Obasanjo's previous
condemnation of his former subordinate, citing the former president's
documented expression of regret concerning his endorsement of Atiku's
appointment as vice-president.
The minister asserted that Obasanjo's evaluation of their
professional relationship should be incorporated into the assessment of Atiku's
political record.
He appealed to political stakeholders to rigorously examine
the records of those pursuing the presidency and refrain from making
determinations based exclusively on sentiment or partisan considerations.
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