“Wike Behaves As If He Can Dictate To Everybody” – Reuben Abati Tackles FCT Minister Over 2027 Elections

• Former presidential aide Reuben Abati has criticised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a video allegedly showing him naming preferred candidates for political offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
• Abati argued that no politician should behave as though he can determine who occupies elective positions, insisting that the power to choose leaders belongs to Nigerian voters.

Former presidential aide and Arise TV Morning Show anchor Reuben Abati has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his alleged attempt to determine who should occupy political offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Abati made the remarks on Friday during the What’s Trending segment of Arise TV’s Morning Show, hosted by Ojy Okpe, while reacting to a video purportedly showing Wike naming preferred candidates for different political positions at a rally in Rivers State.

According to Abati, Wike declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election before proceeding to identify individuals he wanted for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly positions.

The journalist questioned the minister’s conduct, arguing that political offices should not be treated as positions that can be distributed among loyalists.

“Wike and Senator Umahi and all of them they are working for the same purpose, to make sure that President Tinubu is elected. So, they are family in that regard,” Abati said.

“But what I don’t understand is the way Minister Wike, for example, behaves as if he can dictate to everybody.”

Describing the video, Abati said Wike appeared to name preferred candidates for different offices and invite them to step forward in front of the gathering.

“It’s then after allocating positions to the president, he now said he as Wike, it’s not good that he too doesn’t take something,” he said.

Abati added that Wike subsequently called out an individual for the House of Representatives and some of his associates for state House of Assembly positions, describing the scene as one in which the minister was “allocating seats”.

The Arise TV anchor stressed that political endorsements and alliances were legitimate, but said they should not be confused with the power to decide who gets elected.

“No. Nobody should have that kind of power. It should be the Nigerian people, the electorate that should vote. But as for their family, yeah, they have the right to work together,” he said.

Wike has openly declared his support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, while maintaining that his backing of the President does not automatically extend to other candidates seeking elective offices.