Nigerians have rejected you, go home – Wike tackles Atiku

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former governor of Rivers State, has hit back at former vice president and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, labeling him a “serial loser.”

Atiku had earlier criticized Wike following the outcome of the local government elections in Rivers State, where the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 out of the 23 chairmanship positions. Atiku suggested that the results reflected Wike’s rejection by the people.

Responding weeks later, Wike retorted by highlighting Atiku’s back-to-back losses in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections as evidence of his rejection 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 on Saturday at a luncheon he organised in honour of the 10th Legislative Assembly of Rivers State.

“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.”