FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of the Tinubu administration, labeling him a “serial loser” following the latter’s announcement that the 2027 election will be his final presidential bid.
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has launched a blistering verbal assault on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a perennial “contestant and loser.” Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Wike was reacting to an Arise TV interview granted by Abubakar on Wednesday, during which the former Vice-President declared that the 2027 general election would be his final attempt at the presidency. Wike, a long-standing rival of Abubakar within the opposition circles before his appointment to the current cabinet, dismissed the declaration of a “final shot” as political posturing. “Atiku is a serial failure. He is a serial contestant and loser, and I am sure that in 2031, he will still contest,” Wike remarked.
The exchange follows Abubakar’s recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he has taken on a prominent role as a chieftain and vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. During his Wednesday interview, Abubakar characterized the current government as the “worst leader in the nation’s history,” citing economic instability and rising regional tensions. Wike countered these claims on Thursday, arguing that Abubakar’s assessment was detached from the reality of the administration’s infrastructure achievements. “Nigerians would laugh at anyone making such a claim that nothing positive has been achieved. Let him compare the FCT today with what it was during his time as vice-president. Can he honestly say the two are the same?” Wike challenged.
Abubakar’s move to the ADC and his subsequent “world press conference” alongside other opposition figures like Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi have signaled the formation of a broad coalition aimed at the 2027 polls. Having sought the presidency six times and appeared on the ballot in 2007, 2019, and 2023, Abubakar maintains that his persistence is driven by a desire to rescue Nigeria’s collapsing democracy. However, Wike’s comments suggest that the Tinubu administration intends to frame Abubakar’s upcoming campaign as the desperate move of a career politician rather than a viable alternative. The FCT Minister concluded his remarks by asserting that the administration remains focused on its “Renewed Hope” agenda, regardless of the “noise” from the emerging opposition front.
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