According to Report by Punch Newspapers on Monday, 1 June 2026, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to comments made by Nyesom Wike regarding the political influence of Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general election.
The response was conveyed through Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, after Wike reportedly declared that Atiku would not secure up to 10 percent of the votes in Rivers State during the next presidential election.
In a statement shared by Punch Newspapers, Shaibu dismissed Wike’s remarks, insisting that the people of Rivers State cannot be treated as political assets belonging to any individual. He argued that the electorate in the state possesses the freedom and intelligence to make independent political decisions based on their interests and aspirations.
“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,” Shaibu said.
He further stressed that democratic principles do not allow any politician, regardless of position or influence, to determine the voting behaviour of an entire state.
“No individual, regardless of influence or access to federal power, can dictate how an entire state will vote,” he added.
The exchange marks the latest chapter in the long-running political rivalry between Atiku and Wike, two prominent figures whose relationship has remained strained since the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election…..See More
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