The political landscape was stirred this week as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, publicly criticized former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. Wike’s remarks came during a televised interview, serving as a direct response to Tambuwal’s earlier comments on his political loyalties.
The exchange began when Tambuwal, in a recent appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, declared his allegiance to Atiku over Wike, stating that his choices were guided by governance values rather than personal friendship. He was quoted saying, “When it comes to leadership of this country and leadership of the people, I would rather support Atiku than Nyesom Wike.”
In his own interview on the same platform, Wike fired back, labeling both Tambuwal and Atiku as “consistently inconsistent” and “betrayers.” He dismissed the idea of separating leadership from the person, asserting that the two political figures are inherently linked by their past actions. “There’s no way Tambuwal would go without Atiku, knowing full well their antecedents,” Wike said, adding that “Birds of the same feather flock together.”
The current rift is a continuation of a long-running political disagreement that dates back to the 2023 elections. At the time, Wike had criticized Atiku, Tambuwal, and others for failing to uphold a zoning agreement within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he argued should have favored a southern candidate. Wike also used his recent appearance to remind viewers of his past support for Tambuwal’s bid for Speaker of the House of Representatives, a decision he made against his party’s preference.
