Former presidential aide and Arise Television Morning Show anchor, Dr Reuben Abati, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for allegedly acting as though he has the authority to determine who occupies political offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abati made the remarks on Friday during the programme’s “What’s Trending” segment, while reacting to a viral video reportedly showing Wike identifying political candidates at a rally in Rivers State.
According to Abati, the minister appeared to be allocating positions ranging from the presidency and governorship to seats in the National Assembly and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He said Wike had expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election before calling on some of his associates to indicate their interest in other political offices.
Abati questioned the propriety of such conduct, arguing that political positions should be determined by voters through elections rather than treated as appointments that influential politicians could distribute among their supporters.
“Wike and Senator Umahi and all of them, they are working for the same purpose, to make sure that President Tinubu is elected. So, they are family in that regard,” Abati said.
He, however, expressed concern over what he described as Wike’s apparent belief that he could dictate political outcomes for others.
“Nobody should have that kind of power. It should be the Nigerian people, the electorate that should vote,” he added.
Abati acknowledged that Wike and politicians aligned with him were entitled to work together in support of Tinubu, but maintained that such political cooperation should not be confused with the power to determine who wins elective offices.
The comments come as political actors intensify consultations and alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with debates over candidate selection, party influence and the electorate’s role in choosing leaders gaining momentum.
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