The rivalry between former Rivers State governors Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike has once again resurfaced, this time over Amaechi’s 2027 presidential ambition.
On August 9, Amaechi, Nigeria’s former Minister of Transportation, declared that he would defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections if he secures the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket.
Amaechi, who governed Rivers State between 2007 and 2015, said he had never participated in election rigging and vowed to end corruption within one month if elected president. He also promised to push for constitutional reforms that would replace “indigeneship” with “citizenship.”
“If I become president, I will change the constitution from indigeneship to citizenship. If I do not end corruption in Nigeria within one month, I will tender my resignation,” Amaechi said.
But speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike dismissed Amaechi’s claims, insisting that his ambition is unrealistic.
“He knows he won’t get the ticket,” Wike said.
“I read that he said he knows the weaknesses of the president, so he knows how to defeat him. But he also knew the weaknesses of the president in 2022 when the president defeated him mercilessly in the primary. Nigerians know the last person they will give a ticket to because they know it is dead on arrival.”
Amaechi had finished second to Tinubu in the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary.
Wike also questioned Amaechi’s credibility on issues of governance and anti-corruption, accusing him of disregarding the judiciary and the rule of law during his tenure as Rivers governor.
The two political heavyweights have remained fierce rivals since 2015, when Amaechi handed over to Wike as governor of Rivers State. Their feud continues to shape political debates both within the state and at the national level, especially as the road to 2027 gathers momentum.
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