By Our Reporter
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the political relevance of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that his predecessor no longer commands significant electoral influence in Rivers State.
Speaking during a media chat, Wike argued that Amaechi had failed to deliver electoral victories for candidates he supported after leaving office, despite serving as governor for eight years and later as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Wike, Amaechi was unable to secure substantial support for Buhari in Rivers State during the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, despite serving as Director-General of the APC presidential campaigns. He maintained that the former governor’s political influence had steadily declined over the years.
The FCT minister also dismissed suggestions that Amaechi’s emergence as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate would significantly boost the opposition’s chances in Rivers State or the South-South region.
Wike insisted that the opposition coalition should not overestimate Amaechi’s electoral value, arguing that political records and previous election results showed he no longer had the capacity to determine electoral outcomes in the state.
The remarks are the latest in the long-running political rivalry between the two former Rivers governors, whose disagreements have continued to shape Rivers State’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.