Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has told the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that the electorate in Rivers State is intelligent enough to decide the outcome of elections in the state.
The former vice president added that no individual, regardless of influence or access to federal power, can dictate how an entire state will vote.
Wike, a former governor of the state, had on Saturday vowed that Atiku would not secure up to 10 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2027 presidential election in Rivers State.
He made the remark at a luncheon held in honour of candidates of the Rainbow Coalition for the 2027 general elections in the state.
However, in a swift reaction to Wike’s latest boast that Atiku Abubakar would not secure 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State, Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, told LEADERSHIP that the FCT minister’s comments only expose the growing panic within the Tinubu camp over the emergence of a formidable opposition coalition under the ADC.
He noted that Nigerians are more concerned about the soaring cost of living, worsening insecurity, and economic hardship than the political predictions of a minister who appears to have abandoned governance for perpetual electioneering.
Shaibu said it was both amusing and disturbing that Wike now speaks as though Rivers voters are his personal property to be allocated at will.
“The people of Rivers State are not political slaves. They are intelligent, independent-minded Nigerians who will make their choices based on the realities confronting them and the future they desire for their children. No individual, regardless of influence or access to federal power, can dictate how an entire state will vote.”
He added that rather than making reckless forecasts about 2027, Wike should explain to Nigerians why families can no longer afford basic necessities, why businesses are shutting down, and why citizens now budget for ransom payments in the same way they once budgeted for school fees.
“The real referendum in 2027 will not be about Atiku Abubakar; it will be about the catastrophic consequences of the Tinubu administration’s policies and those who have chosen to serve as its chief defenders.”
Shaibu stressed that Atiku remains focused on building a broad national coalition committed to economic recovery, security, and national unity, while others remain consumed by political theatrics.
“When the time comes, Nigerians—including the people of Rivers State—will vote based on performance, competence, and their desire for a better future. No amount of chest-thumping, intimidation, or political grandstanding can change that reality,” he told LEADERSHIP.
