Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that his principal has no regrets about contributing to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election and would do it again in 2027.
Olayinka made this remark in response to Atiku’s recent interview with Adesina Giwa-Osagie, where he stated that he had no regrets about not choosing Wike as his running mate in the 2023 election.
Atiku also revealed that after being blamed for choosing Peter Obi as his running mate in 2019, he allowed the party to recommend three candidates for the position.
He explained that a committee was tasked with shortlisting candidates for the vice-presidential slot, ultimately selecting former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Rivers State’s Nyesom Wike, and ex-Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel.
According to him, the committee ranked Okowa as the top choice, with Wike in second and Udom Emmanuel in third, leading him to select Okowa as his running mate.
“They said I did not consult widely in 2019 when I picked Peter Obi as my running mate, so in 2023, I told the party to set up a committee to recommend three names, So I picked number one,” he said.
ALSO READ: Why I’m unsure about 2027 presidential race – Atiku
Reacting to this in a post on X on Wednesday, Olayinka dismissed Atiku’s statement, asserting that Wike had no regrets about not being picked as running mate.
He added that Wike played a key role in Atiku’s loss in 2023 presidential elections and would ensure the same failure again in 2027.
He wrote, “Two years after making the @OfficialPDPNig lose a presidential election it could have won, @atiku is giving reasons he did not pick @GovWike as his running mate and that he has no regrets.
“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.
Two years after making the @OfficialPDPNig
lose a presidential election it could have won, @atiku is giving reasons he did not pick @GovWike
as his running mate and that he has no regrets.
Someone should tell our serial presidential election contester that Wike also has no…
— Lere Olayinka – Aresa 1 (@OlayinkaLere) March 26, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
However, Atiku had announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
and then