The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, on Monday, said he was battled to stop the former governor of Rivers State, RT. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and their coalition from defeating President Bola Tinubu.
Wike, who was responding to the remarks made by Amaechi at his 60th birthday ceremony held last week, also alleged that the former Minister of Transportation was hungry for power not food.
Amaechi had during his birthday said that , “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power. In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”
But Wike while responding to him said they have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria because he do not understand “why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.”
He recalled that Amaechi was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023 and ” 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.
“He was a former governor who couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections, despite being the campaign DG. Thank God we did not support the PDP; otherwise, he would have taken the glory. He is now in a coalition. I don’t like to talk much. Let them form their team and start from home in Rivers.
“Let’s see how he plans to remove the president. Is it a military coup? The term ‘removal’ is synonymous with dictatorship or military coup. Nigerians remember what happened in 2015, and now he claims Nigerians are hungry. I am not a liability; I am an asset. You may dislike me, but I am an asset in ensuring President Tinubu wins a second term.”
It would be recalled that Wike, who also ruled Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, is currently the Minister of FCT, Abuja. He was Acting Minister of Education ( 2013-2014), Minister of State for Education (2011-2013), Chief of Staff to the Rivers State governor (2007–2011), Local Government Chairman of Obio-Akpor (1999–2007).
Meanwhile, Amaechi also served as two term governor of Rivers State ( 2007 to 2015), Minister of Transportation (2015-2023), Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (2011 to 2015), Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly (1999 – 2007) and pioneer chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.
