, Lere Olayinka, has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his){kind=link}
Aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent remarks on why he did not choose Nyesom Wike as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently stated that he had no regrets about not picking Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, as his running mate.
However, Olayinka dismissed Atiku’s explanation, accusing him of being responsible for the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 election.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Olayinka wrote, “Two years after making the PDP lose a presidential election it could have won, Atiku is giving reasons he did not pick Wike as his running mate and that he has no regrets.”
Olayinka further asserted that Wike also had no regrets for working against Atiku’s victory and vowed that the former vice president would continue to face political setbacks.
“Someone should tell our serial presidential election contester that Wike also has no regret for ensuring that he failed in the election and will make sure that he fails again and again,” he added.
The rift between Atiku and Wike has been a lingering issue within the PDP, with Wike leading a faction known as the G5 governors who opposed Atiku’s candidacy.
The fallout significantly weakened the party’s chances in the last general election, contributing to its loss to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku has contested for Nigeria’s presidency multiple times, with his latest defeat coming in the 2023 election against President Bola Tinubu.