The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, of selling Nigeria’s public assets during his eight-year tenure as vice president.

“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,” he said.

The minister stated this during a rainbow coalition town hall meeting with stakeholders in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday.

He warned that Mr Abubakar would sell the country if elected president in the 2027 general election.

Mr Wike questioned Mr Abubakar’s consistency, accusing him of changing positions and repeatedly pursuing the presidency.

“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 hands of a political gambler,” Mr Wike warned.

Mr Wike defended the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy, noting that the policy had increased revenue allocations to sub-national governments, states and local governments.

When contacted by Peoples Gazette, Phrank Shaibu, Mr Abubakar’s Director of Strategic Communications, dismissed Mr Wike’s allegation as bogus, saying the former vice president was not known for fraud.

“Wike made a laborious claim that said Atiku sold Nigeria national assets. I’m sure that you are not hearing this for the first time.

“Atiku is never known to be 419 or Yahoo Yahoo. So he would wake up and sell Nigeria as what”, he told The Gazette.

Mr Shaibu challenged the minister to identify the specific national assets Mr Abubakar allegedly sold, insisting that he should respond to concrete allegations.