Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to make it difficult for former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to campaign in the state if he continues to disparage President Bola Tinubu and his supporters, in a dramatic escalation of the political feud between the two former allies that has now drawn in the Presidency, the electoral commission and the leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
Wike spoke on Friday, October 9, 2026, in Abuja after a meeting with the chairmen of the six area councils of the FCT and heads of security agencies, reacting to remarks attributed to Amaechi, the vice-presidential candidate of the ADC, at a town hall meeting in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday. In a viral video, Amaechi was heard saying that only thieves and mad people would vote for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. “They are going about saying, vote Tinubu, vote Tinubu; only thieves will vote for Tinubu,” Amaechi said. “In fact, I read on social media that it is in 2027 that we will know how many mad men we have in Nigeria because it is only a mad man that can vote for Tinubu. If Edo people vote for Tinubu, that means Edo people are mad. If you are not mad, Tinubu should not win here.”
Wike’s response was unsparing. He described Amaechi as a “bloody thief” and a “lunatic,” declaring that such a person could never preside over Nigeria. “A lunatic cannot preside over the affairs of this country! A known armed robber cannot! He said those who want to vote for Tinubu are thieves. So, I’m a thief? That’s what he’s saying. But who can be a bigger thief than Amaechi? Ask him who has been his psychiatric doctor,” Wike said. He warned that Amaechi would face resistance in Rivers State if he continued his attacks on the President’s supporters. “If he continues along this line, it will be difficult for him to campaign in Rivers. We will make it difficult for him. You cannot sit down, call voters madmen and thieves, and expect to walk away free,” he said. He added that if security agencies and INEC folded their hands, “that’s their business, but we will not allow it.”
The minister used the occasion to challenge Amaechi’s record as governor of Rivers State, asking him to account for several projects and expenditures. He alleged that $39 million was paid for the Justice Karibi-Whyte Hospital, which he claimed was never built, and questioned a $10 million fumigation contract awarded to a Cuban firm. He also criticised the N68 billion Port Harcourt monorail project, which he said was abandoned during Amaechi’s administration, and alleged that $308 million realised from the sale of state-owned gas turbines was misappropriated. He claimed that Amaechi was indicted by a Judicial Panel of Inquiry and lost his appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.
Wike also called on INEC to sanction Amaechi over the remarks, expressing disappointment that the commission had yet to act. “Up till now, I have not heard that INEC has been able to call the attention of Amaechi,” he said. He urged the commission to enforce electoral regulations strictly and hold political candidates accountable for non-issue-based campaigns. He also criticised media organisations for failing to challenge politicians who resorted to derogatory attacks rather than discussing policy.
The Presidency weighed in through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, who described Amaechi as a burden on Atiku Abubakar’s ticket with no electoral value in Rivers State. “He was DG of Buhari’s campaign two times, but we didn’t get 10 per cent of votes in Rivers State. So he didn’t even know how Buhari won the election in 2015 and 2019. So he just kept blabbing and puffing himself up,” Ajayi said. “He’s actually a burden on Atiku’s ticket. We really don’t even know why Atiku or the ADC will make such a political lightweight a VP candidate, because he brings no value to Atiku’s ticket.”
The ADC has consistently dismissed Wike’s attacks as evidence of anxiety over the growing opposition ahead of the 2027 elections. The Rivers State chapter of the party has accused Wike of displaying fear over the emergence of a formidable opposition, describing his repeated attacks on Amaechi as contradictory to his claims that the opposition posed no threat. The party has also rejected Wike’s assertion that the ADC presidential ticket of Atiku and Amaechi would struggle to secure the constitutionally required 25 per cent of votes in Rivers State, insisting that the election would be decided by the people and not by boasts or intimidation.
The confrontation comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections, scheduled for January 16, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while Atiku is contesting on the ADC ticket with Amaechi as his running mate, Peter Obi is flying the flag of the NDC with Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is running on the APM platform. The National Peace Committee has warned political actors against inflammatory campaigns after recording 60 election-related incidents within one month, including political violence, intimidation, threats and misinformation. The committee, led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Bishop Matthew Kukah, has directed parties, candidates and their supporters to immediately stop false, inflammatory or inciting communication and to uphold the commitments made under the National Peace Accord signed in August.
Wike’s threat to block Amaechi’s campaign in Rivers State raises questions about the conduct of the 2027 elections and the extent to which political actors will be allowed to campaign freely across the country. The minister’s declaration that he would make it difficult for a vice-presidential candidate of a registered political party to campaign in a state he once governed is unprecedented in Nigeria’s recent political history, and it places the conduct of the electoral process at the centre of the growing confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition. For Amaechi, the threat represents a direct challenge to his ability to campaign in his home state. For Wike, it is a signal that he will deploy his political influence to protect the President from what he considers unwarranted insults. For Nigerians, the episode is another reminder that the 2027 campaign is being fought not only over policies and performance but over the boundaries of political speech and the willingness of powerful actors to enforce them.
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