By Ahmed Yusuf | National News
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has blamed former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election, while insisting that President Bola Tinubu remains the only candidate capable of winning Rivers State in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike described Amaechi, now the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as lacking the political influence to deliver electoral victories in Rivers State or the South-South region.
According to the former Rivers State governor, political analysts should not expect any presidential candidate other than Tinubu to secure victory in Rivers in 2027.
“If anyone is calculating votes in Rivers State, the only person who can confidently count on those votes is President Bola Tinubu,” Wike said, adding that his assessment was based on his understanding of the state’s political landscape.
Wike also questioned the rationale behind Amaechi’s emergence as the ADC vice-presidential candidate, suggesting that his selection could not have been based on electoral strength.
He argued that despite occupying strategic political positions over the years, Amaechi had consistently failed to deliver substantial votes for the presidential candidates he supported.
The FCT minister recalled that Amaechi served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019, and later backed Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 election, yet failed to secure significant electoral gains for those candidates in Rivers State.
Wike further accused Amaechi of political inconsistency, noting that the former governor had earlier criticised the ADC primary election process as irregular and lacking credibility before eventually participating in it.
He also said Amaechi’s role in Jonathan’s defeat during the 2015 election would remain a major political burden in the South-South.
According to Wike, many people in the region have not forgotten that Amaechi actively opposed Jonathan’s bid for a second term despite both leaders coming from the South-South.
The minister further praised the Tinubu administration for what he described as unprecedented federal attention to Rivers State, citing ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Bonny Road, as evidence of the government’s commitment to the state.
On the political situation in Rivers, Wike disclosed that a coalition involving members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance (AA), and other political groups had agreed to work together ahead of the 2027 elections.
He explained that the alliance would support President Tinubu’s re-election while presenting consensus candidates for legislative positions irrespective of party affiliation.
Wike maintained that the coalition was not designed to strengthen any particular political party but to promote the development and overall interest of Rivers State.
Reflecting on his political career, the former governor also recalled the heavy deployment of federal security forces during the 2019 governorship election in Rivers, saying his political camp survived the challenge and remained resilient.
