Ahead of the 2027 election, Aminu Tambuwal, senator and former governor of Sokoto state, on Friday, September 5, said he would rather support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar than Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

The opposition figure, who spoke on Channels Television’s political programme 'Politics Today', monitored by Legit.ng, insisted that he is concerned about the progress of Nigeria.

Tambuwal discloses preference for Atiku

He said:

"If today, Vice President Atiku comes in here and Nyesom Wike comes in here, and requests this my phone, which is personal to me, today, I will personally give it to Nyesom Wike, as a personal friend.

"But when it comes to leadership of this country, of the people, tomorrow, not even today, I'd rather support Atiku than Nyesom Wike. It is nothing personal; it is about this country."

While Atiku has unveiled his plan to contest in the 2027 presidential election, Wike said he would not be a candidate because his principal, President Bola Tinubu, would be on the ballot.

Tambuwal's video can be watched below:

''I Will Rather Support Atiku Than Wike''.

—Aminu Tambuwal, Former Sokoto State Governor.#CTVTweets#PoliticsToday pic.twitter.com/8xRwBiViXx

— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 5, 2025

Tambuwal, who became the house of representatives speaker in 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), became a pioneer member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which swept to power at the centre in 2015.

Tambuwal rode on the popularity of the APC to become the governor of Sokoto state. Before the 2019 general elections, he returned to the PDP. He ran for and won second term as governor in 2019.

In the twilight of his second and final term as governor, he won the election to the senate to represent Sokoto South.

Tambuwal is one of the key opposition leaders promoting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, which aims to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 election.