2027 Election: 'Why Atiku Can’t Be Nigeria's President,' Wike Shares

• FCT Minister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike declared that Atiku Abubakar's presidential bid violates the principle of power rotation between North and South
• Wike recalled how the G5 Governors worked to block Atiku's ambition in the 2023 election, saying he has no apology to offer
• The minister said he plans to visit Rivers state regularly ahead of the 2027 polls to coordinate mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Port Harcourt, Rivers state - Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar cannot win the January 16, 2027 presidential election, citing the violation of the rotational power principle as his core reason.

As reported by The Nation, speaking during his monthly televised chat on the state of the nation, Wike said Atiku's decision to pursue the presidency on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) disregards the principle of equity, fairness and justice that underpins power rotation in Nigerian politics.

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Wike and G5 record against Atiku

The minister drew a direct link between his current opposition to Atiku, 79, and the stance he took in 2023 as a member of the G5 Governors, also known as the Integrity Group. The five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors had actively worked to frustrate the ambitions of the party’s then-presidential candidate. He specifically recalled how the G5 collaborated with former Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, to limit Atiku's performance in the northcentral region during that election, and said the results in Benue and other states showed the group's impact.

Vanguard quoted Wike as saying:

"You want me to fold my hands for Atiku Abubakar to come and win the election? No way."

He maintained that the G5's opposition to Atiku was a collective decision rooted in the PDP's failure to respect the principle of balancing political power between the North and the South ahead of the 2023 polls, and said he owed no one an apology for that position.

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Wike's total commitment to Tinubu

On his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wike left no room for ambiguity, saying his loyalty was total and that the consequences of a Tinubu defeat in 2027 weighed on him constantly.

"Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president's re-election. When I am eating, I think about the President's re-election. Everything I am doing now is about the President's re-election," he said.

Furthermore, Wike disclosed plans to visit Rivers state, his political base, on a regular basis ahead of the 2027 elections to hold consultations and drive mobilisation efforts. He clarified that the visits were not a relocation but a deliberate effort to stay connected with his people. "My parents are still alive," he added, noting that the trips also carried a personal dimension.

The minister also used the occasion to criticise two APC governors, Hope Uzodimma of Imo state and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state, accusing them of working against him despite benefiting from his support in the past. He also called on all 36 state governors to account for how they had deployed the revenue allocated to them from the federation account.

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Atiku projected to win 9 states

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Political Intelligence Group (PIG) released a forecast projecting that Atiku would win nine states in the 2027 presidential election.

The forecast, published by Politico.ng, assessed the current distribution of support among the three major presidential contenders. PIG placed Atiku of the ADC in second position with nine states, while Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was projected to win eight states.

Source: Legit.ng