The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has finally commented on the coalition call by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and others, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku is leading the opposition leaders to champion the call for the coalition to sack President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The former president had claimed that the only way to defeat President Tinubu in 2027 is for the opposition leaders to present a unified candidate.

Wike reacted to Atiku's coalition call

Reacting to the call in an interview on Friday, April 18, Wike, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers state and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissed the call and said everybody just wanted to be president.

His statement reads in part:

"For those who are looking for a coalition, it is for selfish interests, the likes of Atiku and other people, which coalition, with whom? Everybody wants to become president of the country."

See the video of his interview here:

"For those who are looking for a coalition, is for selfish interests, the likes of Atiku and other people, which coalition, with whom? Everybody wants to become president of the country." - Wike. pic.twitter.com/YgtbVMdPpr

— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) April 18, 2025

The governors elected under the umbrella of the PDP have earlier rejected the call, but the coalition group has accused the governors of working to return President Tinubu in the next presidential election by presenting a weak candidate.

According to the coalition, the PDP governors rejected their proposal to field a weak candidate and split the opposition votes in favour of President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. They also alleged that the PDP governors were ‘wittingly or unwittingly playing Asiwaju’s spoiler game.’

Salihu Lukman, one of the leaders of the group, in a statement on Wednesday, April 16, claimed that the PDP governors knew that the party could not be repaired and that Nigerians no longer see it as a viable alternative, arguing that the ruling APC has effectively taken over the PDP's core values.

The PDP governors at the end of the meeting on Monday, April 14, dismissed the possibility of joining the coalition or forming a merger with other political parties ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.

Bala Mohammed, the chairman of the forum and governor of Bauchi state, disclosed that the governors have also resolved to seek a clearer interpretation of the constitutional provisions concerning the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state at the Supreme Court.