Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the emergence of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that the proposed ticket stands no chance of winning in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during his media parley on Tuesday, Wike argued that Amaechi no longer commands the political influence needed to attract votes in Rivers State or the South-South region, describing the Atiku-Amaechi alliance as one that lacks electoral strength.
“Rotimi Amaechi being the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, I have come to know that indeed, it would be difficult for Atiku to become president. I’m sure the only factor that made him choose Amaechi may be financial. If it is in terms of bringing votes to support him, it is dead on arrival,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor maintained that Amaechi’s political record does not support claims that he remains an electoral force, recalling that he defeated Amaechi’s political camp while serving as Minister of State and insisting that the former governor has failed to record major electoral victories in recent years.
“I was minister of state, he was governor, he couldn’t put a governor. I defeated him very well. He has not won any election since after 2011 when I was the DG of a campaign,” he stated.
Wike also pointed to Amaechi’s role as Director-General of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019, as well as his support for Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that none of those efforts translated into significant electoral success in Rivers State.
“He was the DG of Buhari’s campaign in 2015 while he was governor, Buhari did not get 25 percent in Rivers. He was the DG in 2019 when he was the minister… Buhari did not get 25 percent. He supported Atiku in 2023, Atiku didn’t get 15 percent,” Wike said.
Questioning Amaechi’s political relevance, the FCT minister argued that merely occupying high public offices does not automatically make someone a valuable political asset.
“Where is he an asset to Rivers State and South-South? The fact you’re a former governor makes you an asset? You must be a former governor that still has followers,” he said.
Wike further challenged Amaechi to point to projects or achievements that directly benefited Rivers State during his time as a federal minister.
“When you’re a minister, what did you bring to the table of your state? What did your government then do that has impacted the lives of Rivers people? It’s not about ‘I was a former this, I was a former that,’” he added.
The remarks are the latest in the long-running political rivalry between the two former Rivers governors as political alignments continue to take shape ahead of the 2027 general election.
