Drop Desperation to be President, Start Being Truthful – Wike tells Atiku

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has advised Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, to abandon his desperation for the presidency and instead focus on being truthful and reliable, particularly at his advanced age.

Wike’s statement came in response to Atiku’s claim that character was the reason he rejected the decision of the PDP committee set up to select his running mate for the 2023 election

In response, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said no one could have known Atiku better than President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom he served as Vice President for eight years.

Olayinka said; “One of the reasons Wike first rejected Atiku’s offer to have him as his running mate was his not-too-impressive character and integrity rating until he was prevailed upon. And this, Atiku exhibited when he rejected the decision of the committee the party set up to pick his running mate even after telling everyone that the decision of the committee would be bidding on him.

“Now, after his lies that he picked his running mate based on the committee report that placed the former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as number one was burst, he is now sermonising about character and integrity, which he, himself does not have.

“Funny that the same Atiku, whom his boss described as a ‘blatant and shameless liar,’ is the one talking about character.

“For the records, Obasanjo said in his book, ‘My Watch’ that ‘What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.’

“Up till today, Atiku has not debunked what his boss said about him.

“Unlike Atiku, Wike does not hide or pretend where he stands on issues. He will not tweet on major issues and rush to delete them. He didn’t pretend about his position on the 2023 election and he won’t pretend on where he will stand in 2027.

“It is Atiku, that should start being truthful and reliable, especially now that he is old, because everything should not be about desperation to be president.”