Wike Roasts Atiku: If I Were His Son, I’d Ask Why He’s Still Jumping Parties at Almost 80

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his repeated defections across political parties, accusing him of being driven by an unrelenting ambition to become president.

Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike questioned Atiku’s consistency, describing his frequent party switches as unbecoming for someone nearing 80 years of age.

“Atiku was in the PDP in 1999, then he joined the Action Congress (AC). After AC, he returned to the PDP, later moved to the APC, and then back to the PDP again, all in pursuit of the presidential ticket,” Wike said.

Taking a personal swipe, he added, “If I were his son, I would sit him down and ask: ‘Dad, how can you keep hopping from one party to another at almost 80 years old?’”

Wike made the comments in response to Atiku’s latest defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as part of a growing opposition alliance aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

He dismissed the move as political opportunism, saying, “The way the PDP is now, it is not likely that Atiku would get a ticket, therefore it is not comfortable. Therefore, he tells you, ‘let’s do a coalition against Tinubu.’ It’s not right.”

“It is because he cannot get the presidential ticket under the PDP that he pushed for a coalition,” Wike added.