Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has launched a blistering attack on the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, declaring that the former Rivers State governor is not a political asset to the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and will instead hinder the ADC's chances in the 2027 general elections. Speaking during a live radio interview in Port Harcourt on Saturday, August 1, 2026, Wike questioned Amaechi's political relevance and his ability to deliver votes in Rivers State and the South-South region, citing the former minister's failure to secure 25 per cent of the presidential vote for Muhammadu Buhari in Rivers State when he served as Director-General of the APC presidential campaign in 2019. Wike argued that Amaechi's political history does not support claims that he could significantly influence electoral outcomes in favour of Atiku, insisting that his track record as governor, minister, and campaign director-general has been marked by failure rather than achievement.
Wike pointed to Amaechi's tenure as governor of Rivers State, during which he was unable to produce a successor, and his subsequent role as Director-General of the Buhari presidential campaign, where he could not deliver 25 per cent of the votes in Rivers State for the APC candidate. He also noted that even as a minister and later as a campaign director-general, Amaechi could not secure the required votes for the President in the 2019 election. "Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is not a plus to Atiku Abubakar," Wike declared. "Remember, he was governor here and could not produce a successor. He was director-general of a presidential campaign, and they could not deliver 25 percent for Buhari in Rivers state. He was also a minister and later became a campaign DG, yet Mr President still did not get 25 percent in the presidential election". The FCT minister stressed that political relevance should be measured by achievements rather than titles, questioning Amaechi's contributions to Rivers during his tenure as minister of transportation. "What is the record? What is the report card? As a minister, what did you bring to Rivers state? What projects did you attract? What opportunities did you create? Rivers people deserve answers," Wike said.
The minister also invoked Amaechi's past comments about former President Goodluck Jonathan, in which the former Rivers governor openly admitted to mobilising against Jonathan during the 2015 elections because he disagreed with his leadership style. Jonathan, who hails from Bayelsa State, was seeking re-election but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. Wike argued that Amaechi's public declaration that he was one of those who "kicked out" a South-South president would make it difficult for him to now sell Atiku, a Northerner, to voters in the South-South region. "He came out on national television and said he was one of those who kicked out President Jonathan. He said he did not want a south-south person to complete his tenure as president. That was his statement. Now, how do you return to the same south-south people and expect them to celebrate you?" Wike asked.
The FCT minister contrasted Amaechi's record with what he described as President Bola Tinubu's support for Rivers State, citing federal appointments and the recognition of the state's indigenes in strategic positions. "Look at the appointments. It has never happened in the history of Rivers state," Wike said. "Beyond that, look at the number of Rivers people occupying strategic positions in federal agencies today. You can count more than eight people serving as directors-general and executive directors. I am not even talking about board memberships". Wike described his own appointment as FCT Minister as a landmark decision by Tinubu, saying it elevated Rivers State's profile nationally and argued that the ADC's ticket, which pairs a northern presidential candidate with a southern running mate, would struggle to gain traction in the South-South given Amaechi's political baggage. "If a South-South person was the president, you came out on national television and said you kicked him out, not to do a second tenure. Fine. The South-South lost that position. Now they are giving you vice president to replace the president that we lost. In which party is that? It will be difficult, difficult to sell it," Wike said.
The ADC had named Amaechi as Atiku's running mate shortly after the former Rivers governor lost the party's presidential primary to Atiku in May 2026. The party's spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, had described Amaechi as one of Nigeria's "most experienced and respected political leaders" who enjoys "widespread support from party members across the federation". However, Wike's blistering critique has cast doubt on the electoral viability of the ADC ticket in the South-South, a region that will be crucial to Atiku's presidential ambitions. The exchange highlights the deep political rivalries and strategic calculations shaping Nigeria's opposition politics as the 2027 elections approach, with Wike, a key figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress, positioning himself as a formidable opponent to the ADC's presidential ticket.
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