​2027 Watch: Wike Slams Atiku’s Track Record, Says Amaechi’s Entry Worsens ADC Ticket

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has launched a scathing attack on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s political record, urging Nigerians to critically assess his years in government ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
​Wike also took aim at former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, asserting that his entry into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has further complicated the party’s presidential ticket and weakened its credibility as a viable alternative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
​Addressing supporters on Thursday during a Rainbow Coalition meeting in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, the FCT minister challenged Atiku to account for his stewardship between 1999 and 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
​Questions Over Atiku’s Privatisation Tenure
​Wike, who competed against Atiku in the 2022 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, argued that voters must look beyond repeated campaign promises and examine past performance in public office.
​“Atiku was vice-president from 1999 to 2007. How many years? He was not just a vice-president, but a very powerful vice-president,” Wike said. “He was in charge of privatisation and everything concerning companies and industries owned by the government. Can anybody tell me, do you see the impact of Atiku Abubakar? No!”
​Wike further invoked the well-documented rift between Obasanjo and Atiku, noting that Obasanjo’s public assessment of his former deputy should serve as a major reference point for Nigerian voters evaluating Atiku’s 2027 ambitions.
​$308M Gas Turbine Sale, Monorail: Wike Demands Answers From Amaechi
​Shifting his focus to the local opposition landscape, Wike questioned the political moral authority of presenting Atiku and Amaechi as a reformer duo under the ADC platform.
​He challenged Amaechi to account for several high-value state expenditures during his tenure as Rivers State governor (2007–2015), citing specific transactions and projects:
​$308 Million: Proceeds from the reported sale of state-owned gas turbines in December 2014.
​N68 Billion: Expenditure on the controversial, uncompleted Rivers Monorail project.
​$39 Million: Funds allocated for a proposed specialist hospital.
​$10 Million: Spending on a state mosquito-control/fumigation initiative.
​“Where is the $308 million? Where is the $39 million? Where is the N68 billion? And where is the $10 million for fumigation?” Wike asked, urging political stakeholders to demand accountability rather than making decisions based on sentiment or partisan loyalty.
​Oyigbo Community Reaffirms Support for Wike
​Earlier in the event, Chimereze Nworgo, Zonal Director of the Post Primary Schools Board, praised Wike’s enduring legacy in the state, citing major infrastructure and security interventions completed during his governorship.
​Nworgo highlighted projects such as the landmark Ogbia-Nembe Road, local educational upgrades, traditional institutional recognitions, and political opportunities created for native sons, including Ambassador Desmond Eji Akawor.
​While reaffirming the community’s political loyalty to Wike, Nworgo also submitted a community appeal for further interventions, including road rehabilitations, a new general hospital, school upgrades, and youth empowerment opportunities.