“I’ll Support Atiku Over Wike in Nigeria’s Leadership Choice” — Tambuwal

Former Sokoto State governor and current Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has declared that he would support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, if asked to choose between them in shaping Nigeria’s future leadership.

Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Friday night, Tambuwal said his political decisions are guided by principles and leadership values, not personal relationships. “When it comes to leadership of this country and leadership of the people, tomorrow, not even today, I would rather support Atiku than Nyesom Wike,” he stated.

Tambuwal and Wike have had a complicated political history. In 2023, Wike accused Tambuwal, Atiku, and former Senate President Bukola Saraki of reneging on an internal agreement within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone the presidential ticket to the South. He also claimed to have backed Tambuwal’s emergence as Speaker of the House of Representatives, despite the PDP leadership presenting another candidate.

Clarifying his position, Tambuwal insisted that his differences with fellow politicians have always been about principle rather than personal issues. “It is a collaboration; it is not something difficult. Once it is about being altruistic and nothing personal. You have never seen me going against President Bola Tinubu personally, you have never heard of me going against Nyesom Wike personally,” he said.

He recalled his past disagreements with former President Goodluck Jonathan, explaining that they were based purely on policy direction. “We disagreed on principle, the way, and the direction things were going. I had no problem personally with Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, but we disagreed, and I left PDP for APC,” Tambuwal explained.

The senator stressed that friendship and leadership must remain distinct in politics. “It is not about my friendship with you, and I am saying this with all sense of responsibility. If Atiku Abubakar comes in here and Wike requests my phone, which is personal to me, I will personally give it to Wike as a personal friend,” he said.