Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has mocked the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, saying it is too late for him to “buy character and integrity.”
Olayinka’s remarks were in response to a statement from the Atiku Media Office, which claimed that character was the reason the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) committee’s choice for vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 election was rejected.
Dismissing the claim, Olayinka said Atiku is not known for integrity and that no one understood him better than former President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom he served as Vice President for eight years.
“One Nigerian that can never be found in the gathering of men of character and integrity is Atiku. His boss, Obasanjo, attested to this in his book “My Watch,” Olayinka stated.
Lere Olayinka
He further alleged that Atiku’s lack of integrity was a key reason Wike initially rejected his offer to be his running mate, only reconsidering after pressure from party stakeholders.
However, Olayinka argued, Atiku demonstrated his untrustworthiness by disregarding the PDP committee’s decision on his running mate, despite previously pledging to abide by it.
“Now that his lie that he picked his running mate based on the committee report has been exposed, he is suddenly preaching about character and integrity, qualities he clearly lacks,” Olayinka said.
He referenced Obasanjo’s damning assessment of Atiku in My Watch, quoting the former president’s words:
“What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgment, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.”
Olayinka noted that Atiku has never publicly refuted these remarks.
In contrast, he described Wike as a politician who does not shy away from his stance on issues, unlike Atiku, who “tweets on major issues and rushes to delete them.”
“It is Atiku who should start being truthful and reliable, especially now that he is old. Everything should not be about desperation to be president,” Olayinka concluded.
The latest salvo from Wike’s camp adds to the lingering tensions between Atiku and the FCT Minister, highlighting the deep divisions within the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
