The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over comments suggesting the opposition would struggle to secure support in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to a report by Punch, Wike stated during a luncheon in Rivers State on Saturday that Atiku and the ADC would fail to secure up to 10 per cent of votes in the state during the next presidential election. He also reportedly declared that only a candidate endorsed by his Rainbow Coalition would emerge victorious in the state’s governorship race.

Responding through a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed Wike’s remarks, insisting that Rivers voters are capable of making independent political decisions.

The former vice president argued that no individual, regardless of political influence or access to federal power, could determine how residents of Rivers State would vote.

“Rivers votes are not your property,” Atiku said in the statement. He maintained that the people of Rivers State are “intelligent, independent-minded Nigerians” who will base their choices on prevailing realities and their aspirations for the future.

Atiku further claimed that Wike’s comments reflected growing concern within President Bola Tinubu’s political camp over the emergence of what he described as a formidable opposition coalition under the ADC platform.

He also argued that Nigerians are currently more focused on pressing national issues, including rising living costs, insecurity and economic hardship, than on political forecasts from government officials.

The latest exchange underscores escalating political tensions ahead of the 2027 elections, with key figures already positioning themselves and their alliances for what is expected to be a fiercely contested race.