2027: ‘My job is to give Atiku, Obi high blood pressure’ — Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that his mission is to keep opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi under political pressure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Wike made the remark on Friday in Abuja while insisting that Nigeria currently has no strong opposition party capable of challenging the ruling party.

The FCT minister, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but is backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, said the crisis rocking the PDP has weakened the party’s position as the country’s major opposition platform.

According to him, opposition politicians seeking relevance should not expect him to make their political journey easier.

“I don’t want them to feel well. It is not my wish for them to feel well. My business is to make them not feel well all day, because they will be having high blood pressure,” Wike said.

He added that his role in politics was to ensure his opponents remained under pressure, saying competition was about defeating rivals and not helping them succeed.

“When you are having a contest with somebody, your business is not to make him feel well. Your business is to make sure that you beat him thoroughly,” he said.

Wike said he was not concerned about how Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, or Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, reacted to his criticisms.

“How Atiku feels, how Obi feels, does not give me a headache,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor has repeatedly attacked both opposition figures in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Wike described Atiku as a “voodoo economist” while criticising his promise to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

He also accused the former vice-president of changing his position on subsidy removal for political reasons.

Wike has previously dismissed Obi’s presidential ambition, describing him as a “social media presidential candidate.”