Coalition: Atiku Wants To Be Presidential Candidate Again In 2027 – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has come down hard on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for pushing a coalition of opposition parties, accusing him of undermining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the buildup to the 2027 presidential election.

Wike, speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Friday, condemned Atiku’s coalition efforts, labeling them as self-serving and politically deceptive.

“The call for coalition is purely about personal ambition,” Wike said. “Atiku wants to be the presidential candidate again in 2027, and he’s using the idea of a coalition as a platform to push that agenda.”

Atiku, a founding member of the PDP, recently announced plans to lead a broad coalition of opposition parties to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu at the next general election. He stated that the coalition would adopt a credible political platform focused on delivering good governance.

However, Wike dismissed the idea, aligning with PDP governors who had earlier rejected the coalition move and maintained that the PDP remains open only to those willing to work within the party’s framework.

“Instead of building the PDP into a strong, unified opposition party, some people are busy plotting another platform just so they can be president,” Wike said. “Which coalition with who? If you truly believe in the PDP, come in and build it. But no—everybody wants to be the flagbearer, and if that doesn’t happen, they abandon the party. To your tents, O Israel!”

The former Rivers State governor also warned that Atiku’s coalition strategy mirrors the internal divisions that contributed to the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 elections.

“You caused problems in the party yesterday, and you’re about to make the same mistake today,” Wike declared. “Then you’ll turn around tomorrow and say you were rigged out? No—you rigged yourself out by destroying unity in your own party.”

Wike’s comments mark a sharp escalation in tensions within the PDP as the party faces increasing pressure to rebuild and define its direction ahead of the 2027 polls.