2027: Rivers Votes Not Your Property, Atiku Replies Wike

Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has responded sharply to remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over claims that the opposition cannot secure meaningful votes in Rivers State during the 2027 general elections.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, had stated at a political luncheon in Port Harcourt that Atiku and the ADC would struggle to secure up to 10 per cent of votes in the state. He also insisted that electoral outcomes in Rivers would favour candidates aligned with his “Rainbow Coalition.”

The coalition, which reportedly brings together elements of the PDP, APC, Labour Party and other groups, is being projected by Wike as the dominant political structure ahead of the next elections.

Reacting in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed Wike’s comments as undemocratic and reflective of what he described as an overestimation of political influence.

He maintained that the people of Rivers State cannot be reduced to political instruments or electoral assets controlled by any individual, regardless of office or influence.

“Rivers votes are not your property. 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 argued that no individual or political actor has the authority to predetermine how an entire state will vote, insisting that sovereignty ultimately rests with the electorate.

According to him, the focus of Nigerians has shifted toward pressing national challenges such as rising inflation, insecurity, and economic hardship, rather than what he described as political projections made from positions of power.

He added that Wike’s remarks reflect growing unease within the ruling political establishment over the strengthening of opposition alliances ahead of 2027.

The exchange underscores rising political tensions as parties and alliances intensify early positioning ahead of what is expected to be a highly contested general election.