Rivers Votes Belong to the People, Not Any Individual — Atiku Tells Wike

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The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that he would not secure up to 10 per cent of votes in Rivers State during the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the people of Rivers State are capable of making independent political choices and cannot be treated as the personal political assets of any individual.

The response followed Wike's recent declaration that Atiku would fail to garner up to 10 per cent of the total votes cast in Rivers State in the next general election.

Reacting, Atiku said the minister's comments reflected growing anxiety within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's camp over the emergence of a strong opposition coalition under the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls.

He argued that Nigerians are more concerned about pressing national issues, including rising living costs, insecurity and economic hardship, than political forecasts by government officials.

According to the former vice president, it was both amusing and troubling that Wike appeared to speak as though Rivers voters were under his control.

"The people of Rivers State are not political slaves. They are intelligent, independent-minded Nigerians who will make their choices based on the realities confronting them and the future they desire for their children," the statement read.

Atiku further maintained that no individual, irrespective of political influence or access to federal power, can determine how an entire state will vote, insisting that the electorate would ultimately decide the outcome of the election.

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