Political Firestorm: Tempers Flare as Atiku Blasts Wike, Claims Tinubu Leads Nigeria via WhatsApp

 

Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s political landscape is once again engulfed in heated rhetoric, as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lashed out at Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over comments deemed disparaging towards a burgeoning opposition coalition aiming to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

The political skirmish erupted following a recent interview in which Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, questioned the integrity of a high-profile alliance involving Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party leader Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai. The trio has reportedly been in discussions to form a united political front to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in the next general elections.

Wike, speaking on TVC, dismissed the coalition as a self-serving arrangement, declaring that its proponents were more interested in their presidential ambitions than in building a viable and robust opposition.

“Everyone wants to be president,” Wike remarked bluntly. “No one is thinking about strengthening the party structure or laying a solid democratic foundation for the future. That’s not a coalition; that’s a contest of egos.”

His statements, however, drew immediate and fierce backlash from the Atiku camp. Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesperson, responded with scathing criticism, branding Wike as a political turncoat who had lost the moral high ground to discuss loyalty or sincerity.

“Wike is the last person to talk about sincerity or integrity,” Ibe said in a statement. “This is a man who has repeatedly undermined his own party, the PDP, while hobnobbing with the APC leadership. He has sacrificed principle for ambition and is doing the bidding of those who have failed Nigerians.”

Ibe didn’t stop there. In a striking rebuke, he accused President Tinubu of presiding over Nigeria in absentia, alleging that the Commander-in-Chief has been running the country remotely.

“Wike should focus his advice on his boss, President Tinubu,” Ibe said. “We are being governed through WhatsApp messages from Aso Rock, with no clear sense of leadership or accountability. Nigerians deserve more than a virtual presidency.”

The attack also ventured into Rivers State politics, where Wike has been accused of leveraging federal influence to dominate political affairs in the state—particularly to weaken his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

“Instead of nurturing the democratic process in his home state, Wike is actively working to destabilize it,” Ibe alleged. “He is using every federal instrument at his disposal to impose his will on Rivers State, to the detriment of good governance and political maturity.”

The criticism was echoed by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), which issued its own statement slamming Wike’s commentary and questioning his motives. According to CUPP’s National Secretary, Peter Ahmeh, the minister’s remarks are a transparent attempt to discredit a movement that is fast becoming a national rallying point for discontented citizens.

“Wike is clearly acting as an agent of the APC,” Ahmeh declared. “His attacks on the coalition are designed to divide and distract. But Nigerians are no longer fooled by theatrics. The momentum for change is real and growing, and the coalition represents a viable path to reclaim our country from misgovernance and corruption.”

CUPP maintains that the coalition is not just another political gimmick, but rather a response to Nigeria’s deepening crises—from economic mismanagement and rising insecurity to systemic corruption.

As the 2027 elections gradually take shape, it is clear that battle lines are being drawn. With personalities like Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai aligning against the APC, and figures like Wike emerging as disruptive forces from within the opposition’s own ranks, Nigeria appears headed for an intense and possibly transformative political showdown.

Observers note that if the opposition can maintain unity and tap into the public’s growing dissatisfaction, it could present the most formidable challenge to APC dominance since the party’s rise to power. However, internal discord, such as the rift now playing out between Atiku and Wike, could just as easily derail the effort.

For now, the war of words continues—signaling that the road to 2027 will be anything but smooth.