By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the political relevance of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, describing him as a “political liability” who lacks the electoral strength to deliver votes in Rivers State or the South-South geopolitical zone.
Wike made the remarks on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Abuja while reacting to speculations over possible alignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
He argued that Amaechi no longer commands the political influence required of a vice-presidential candidate, insisting that his record in previous elections does not support claims of widespread electoral appeal.
According to Wike, if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar eventually considers Amaechi as a running mate, the decision would have little to do with electoral value.
“If you are choosing a Vice Presidential candidate, a running mate, I’m sure the only factor that has been used to choose Rotimi Amaechi may be financial because the former governor lacks the capacity to deliver votes,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor maintained that Amaechi had failed to produce electoral victories despite occupying strategic campaign positions in previous presidential elections.
He recalled that Amaechi served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019 before backing Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 election, yet failed to secure convincing electoral victories for those candidates in Rivers State.
“He has never won a presidential election after 2011 when I was the Director of Campaign. Never!” Wike declared.
The FCT minister said genuine political relevance is measured by sustained grassroots support and visible developmental achievements, challenging Amaechi to point to tangible benefits his years in public office brought to Rivers State and the South-South region.
Wike also accused the former transportation minister of inconsistency over his stance on the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections.
According to him, Amaechi had once criticised the APC’s primary process as flawed and irregular but later accepted and benefited from the same system.
“The same man now is benefiting from the corruption, from irregularities of the same system,” he said.
The minister further criticised Amaechi’s political decisions, including his opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015 and his alleged involvement in the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
He questioned whether such actions would endear Amaechi to voters across the South-South if he pursues another national political office.
Highlighting ongoing federal projects in Rivers State, including the Bonny Road project, Wike argued that the state has received greater attention from the current administration than under previous governments.
He said that the scale of federal infrastructure development in Rivers under President Bola Tinubu demonstrates stronger commitment to the state despite claims by some political actors of having enjoyed better relationships with past administrations.
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