Rotimi Amaechi, the former minister of transportation, and Nyesom Wike, his successor and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are set to make a show of force ahead of the general elections in 2027.
Wike is firmly supporting President Bola Tinubu, whereas Amaechi is a member of the opposition coalition.
Amaechi had stated that he and Nigerians were hungry during a public lecture in Abuja on his 60th birthday titled “Weaponization of Poverty.”
He said at the event: “We are all hungry. All of us are. If you are not hungry, I am. So, for us the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power (Tinubu), we can remove him from this power.”
Amaechi is a crucial part of the opposition organization that is assembling a coalition to overthrow President Tinubu in 2027, according to ZINGTIE.
Despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, Wike had brazenly stated that he would spearhead Tinubu’s reelection campaign.
Wike was not pleased with Amaechi’s assertions that he was starving.
During his monthly media briefing on Monday, he stated that the former Transportation Minister was not deficient.
Wike highlighted the former Minister’s statement that he dislikes money and emphasized that Amaechi and the opposition coalition were solely interested in gaining power.
Amaechi stated in 2017, affirming that he was not dishonest and disliked money: “Is my honesty in doubt? I have told Nigerians and I repeat to Nigerians today I am not corrupt and I don’t like money. I am not one swayed by money. I have lived a character that most Nigerians can tell you.”
Referring to Amaechi’s earlier statement, Wike stated, “We have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria. I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.
“He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023. He never spoke about hunger during those years.
“Now they are regrouping. They are only hungry for power. This shows his failure. How can you trivialise the issue of hunger? He joined Atiku and claimed hunger. It is clear he cannot stay out of power. From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi stood before Nigerians and claimed hunger.”
Amaechi, meantime, has retaliated on Wike by calling him a child.
Amaechi stated during an appearance on Arise TV: “I wanted him (Wike) as chief of staff so I could supervise him.
“Adoke flew all the way from Abuja to Port Harcourt that Wike asked me to make him the Commissioner for Finance and I said no, he has to work under me so that I can supervise him.
“I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children.
“You know, he made himself chief of staff. He made himself governor. He made himself a minister. He made himself local government chairman.”
According to the ZINGTIE, Wike and Amaechi had a political crisis in 2012, which is when their estrangement began. Their relationship has not been harmonious.
In the Ikwerre region of Rivers State, Amaechi hails from Ubima in the Ikwerre Local Council Area, and Wike hails from Rumueprikon in the Obio/Akpor Local Council.
During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Wike is thought to have been appointed Minister, Chief of Staff, and local council boss (Obio/Akpor) by Amaechi, over all odds.
On the other hand, when it appeared that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had turned against Amaechi, Wike protected him.
According to the Supreme Court, Wike was the mainstay of the administration that frightened off adversaries till Amaechi stabilized and waged the hard war that resulted in Amaechi’s return as governor of Rivers State.
While Wike maintained power in Rivers State, Amaechi played away during his two-term time as governor.
Reactions to Wike’s most recent remarks regarding Amaechi
Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson and journalist on Arise Television, accused Wike of being impolite to the former minister of transportation since the former is his political boss.
Abati said: “I think that Nyesom Wike is very rude and disrespectful because Rotimi Amaechi is his boss in politics.
“When he was a local government chairman or was a councillor during Amaechi’s second term, it was Rotimi Amaechi that helped him to become local government chairman.”
Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka denied rumors that Amaechi was Wike’s political boss.
According to Olayinka, Wike stood up for Amaechi after the former governor fled Nigeria to Ghana after a confrontation with the country’s authorities.
According to Olayinka: “So how is Rotimi Amaechi Wike’s boss in politics? When Amaechi was a House of Assembly member, Wike was a Local Government Chairman.
“When Amaechi ran to Ghana in 2007, Wike was in Nigeria, leading the charge to retrieve Amaechi’s mandate. But I will still not talk.
“Yesterday, Wike spoke against Rotimi Amaechi and it was aired on ARISE NEWS.
“Today, Reuben Abati, who works in ARISE NEWS is the one defending him (Amaechi). Is he Amaechi’s spokesperson?
“Trained journalists working in Media Organizations don’t do that. They leave people to defend themselves.
“But Abati won’t understand, and know why. Reason he failed as President Jonathan’s Adviser on Media.”
The two estranged bedfellows can still be reconciled through the pursuit of resource management, according to activist lawyer Maduabuchi Idam.
Idam stated in an interview with ZINGTIE: “Amaechi and Wike have no real personal issues or issues based on principles and ideology, except the struggle for dominance and resource control.
“It’s all about who controls the resources of Rivers State and nothing else. Call them today and share the resources of Rivers people amongst the two of them, you will see them unite against another third party who would want a share from them.
“There is no ideology or principle in all the fights you see from them.”
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