Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has lashed out at former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi for aligning with the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, accusing him of pursuing power out of bitterness and personal ambition.
Wike made the remarks on Friday during the commissioning of the rehabilitated Aguma Palace Road and New Market Road in Gwagwalada, Abuja, an event attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
“Because you have left office, you are angry. You said Nigerians are angry. You want to come back to power; you won’t come back,” Wike said in a fiery rebuke of Amaechi.
The comments came a day after Amaechi, a former presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he signalled his intention to run for president again — this time under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He pledged to serve only a single four-year term if elected.
During the interview, Amaechi criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the economic situation under Tinubu is worse than during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
Wike and Amaechi, both former governors of Rivers State, have had a long-standing political rivalry. Amaechi governed from 2007 to 2015 before handing over to Wike, who served two terms until 2023. The two have since drifted to opposite ends of the political spectrum — Wike now serving as a minister in Tinubu’s APC-led government, and Amaechi recently aligning with the ADC-led opposition coalition.
Wike challenged Amaechi
Reacting to Amaechi’s latest political moves, the minister challenged him and his new allies to account for their records.
“You never made angry Nigerians happy, but Tinubu stayed in office for six months and you started saying Nigerians are angry,” Wike said.
He mocked the coalition’s timing and credibility, pointing out that Amaechi had ample time to deliver results while in office.
“They said the coalition has started…When will you stop deceiving Nigerians? Somebody came into office six months then you started the coalition, but you had the opportunity to be Minister of Transportation for eight years. What did you do?” he asked.
The war of words highlights the deepening divide between the two political heavyweights from Rivers State as Nigeria begins to gear up for the 2027 elections.
