Nyesom Wike responded sharply on Saturday to former vice president Atiku Abubakar, branding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election a serial loser.
Atiku had criticized Wike—the Minister of the FCT and a former governor of Rivers State—regarding the recent local government elections in the state, where the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions. Atiku claimed this outcome reflected Wike’s rejection by the people. In response, Wike pointed out that Atiku has twice contested the presidential election as the PDP candidate in 2019 and 2023 and has been rejected by Nigerians.
“We never contested local government elections. Did we participate in [the Rivers LG election]? Did we even pick up a form? I hear Atiku Abubakar claiming, ‘Oh, they have rejected me in Rivers State.’ But regardless of that claim, the truth remains: he has lost repeatedly, and Nigerians have also rejected him,” Wike stated during a luncheon he hosted in Port Harcourt for members of the Rivers State Assembly loyal to him.
“If you assert that an election we didn’t contest proves that Nigerians have rejected us, that’s acceptable. But you, who did contest and fail miserably, have been rejected by Nigerians. So, pack your bags and go home.”
