Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Nyesom Wike on Saturday hit back at former vice president Atiku Abubakar, called the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flag bearer in the 2023 election a loser whom Nigerians have rejected Atiku had taken a swipe at Wike over the local government elections in the state that took place in Rivers state in September The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 out of the 23 local government chairmanship posts in the exercise in the PDP-led Rivers, a move Atiku said is a reflection of Wike’s rejection by the people, however weeks after, the minister said having contested the presidential election in 2019 and 2023 as the PDP candidate and lost, Atiku has been rejected by Nigerians. “We never contested local government elections. Did we contest [Rivers LG election]? Did we pick form? I hear Atiku Abubakar say, ‘Oh they have rejected me in Rivers State. Okay, assuming though not conceding, he had lost so many times, Nigerians have also rejected him,” Wike said in Port Harcourt at a luncheon he organized in honour of members of the Rivers State Assembly loyal to him. “If you say for an election we did not contest; never participated that shows Nigerians have rejected us, it is okay. You that contested and failed woefully, Nigerians have rejected you, therefore pack and go home.” Wike, a chieftain of the PDP had fell out with Atiku in the lead-up to the 2023 election when the latter had clinched the PDP ticket for the exercise after beating Wike and other aspirants. The former Rivers State governor faulted the ex-VP’s emergence as the party’s flag bearer, arguing that it was the turn of southern Nigeria to produce a president (Atiku is from the north). That pushed Wike and some of his men in the “G-5” which enjoyed membership of five then-governors. They worked against Atiku with the PDP losing Rivers, one of its strongholds to the APC in the presidential election.
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