The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of selling Nigeria’s national assets during his tenure under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, warning that he could sell the country if elected president.
Wike, who described Atiku as a political gambler, challenged Nigerians to demand accountability from the former Vice President over the fate of government-owned companies privatised during his eight years in office before considering entrusting him with the nation’s highest political position.
The FCT Minister made the remarks on Friday during a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting with stakeholders in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he also solicited support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and defended its economic policies.
Taking a swipe at Atiku’s repeated presidential ambitions, Wike recalled that the former Vice President supervised the privatisation programme under the Obasanjo administration, questioning what became of the government-owned companies sold during that period.
“Atiku Abubakar was vice president for eight years. He was in charge of privatisation. He sold assets belonging to Nigeria.
“Now ask him, what happened to all the government companies that he sold? Ask him,” Wike said.
The minister further alleged that Atiku’s ambition to become president could expose the country to further asset sales, claiming that the former Vice President might seek to recover the resources invested in his repeated presidential campaigns.
“He will sell Nigeria to recover all what he has spent since he has been contesting for President. He is not a man that you can take his word to the bank. What he says in the morning is not what he’ll say in the afternoon.
“Therefore, you cannot put your destiny in the hand of a political gambler,” he warned.
Wike also questioned Atiku’s political consistency, accusing him of frequently changing positions while making the presidency his recurring political ambition.
Turning his attention to the Tinubu administration, the FCT Minister defended the removal of fuel subsidy, acknowledging the economic hardship it had brought upon Nigerians but insisting that the policy had significantly increased revenue available to the federal, state and local governments.
According to him, the increased allocations have strengthened the financial capacity of state and local governments, enabling them to meet obligations such as workers’ salaries and outstanding pension payments.
He maintained that the additional revenue accruing to the various tiers of government had helped address some of the financial difficulties that previously affected their operations.
While acknowledging the economic challenges facing Nigerians, Wike appealed for patience, insisting that the government’s reforms would deliver long-term benefits.
He also cited the absence of prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the past three years as evidence of improved stability under the Tinubu administration.
The minister urged Nigerians to give the President more time to consolidate his policies, arguing that the administration should be assessed based on its performance and the increased resources now available to the different levels of government.
