‘You say we campaign every day, don’t cry foul after you fail 2027 elections,’ Wike tells Amaechi

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over his reported claim that he does not need to campaign in the state because of his popularity.

Wike criticised Amaechi, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, during the APC presidential campaign rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

He challenged the former governor to stand by his reported remarks, warning against claiming after the election that the process was rigged despite not campaigning in the state.

“Yesterday, I overheard on News Central somebody who was ranting that why are we worrying, that we are campaigning every day, but that he does not get worried because he is very popular, he doesn’t need to campaign,” Wike said.

“Let it be on record that the vice-presidential candidate had told the world that he does not need to campaign in Rivers State. Let it not be tomorrow that he will say he campaigned and the election was rigged. He did not campaign, and nobody is going to vote for him,” he added.

The FCT minister also recalled Amaechi’s comments during the 2023 election campaign on the meaning of brotherhood in politics, arguing that political loyalty should be determined by those who stand with the people during difficult times.

He quoted the former governor as defining a brother as someone who identifies with others when they are in trouble, adding that brotherhood in politics was not necessarily determined by blood relations.

Turning the argument against Amaechi, Wike asked the crowd to identify who had demonstrated such brotherhood with Rivers State.

He declared that President Bola Tinubu was the state’s political ally, citing the completion of the Bodo-Bonny Road and the establishment of the Federal University of Environment in Ogoni as evidence of the President’s interventions.

Wike also said Rivers had received unprecedented federal appointments under the Tinubu administration, claiming that the state had secured at least 47 political appointments since the President assumed office.

The minister insisted that the rally was organised for Rivers residents, stressing that supporters had not been mobilised from other states.

He said the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, which he put at a seating capacity of 40,000, was filled by Rivers supporters.