Wike Explodes: Amaechi Marked 60th Birthday With Lies And Deception

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of being desperate for power.

Wike made this remark while responding to Amaechi’s recent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Wike said it was regrettable that Amaechi chose his 60th birthday celebration as an occasion to allegedly mislead Nigerians by claiming there is widespread hunger in the country.

He claimed Amaechi has aligned himself with former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar because he cannot remain outside the corridors of power.

Wike stated:

“I don’t understand how someone would use their 60th birthday to spread falsehoods. It’s unfortunate that while people are celebrating him, he resorts to lies.

He added that Amaechi, who served as Speaker from 1999 to 2007 and as governor from 2007 to 2015, never raised concerns about hunger during his time in power.

“He was also a minister for eight years. Just two years after leaving office, he’s suddenly concerned about hunger? No, he’s hungry for power,” Wike declared.

Wike continued his criticism, accusing Amaechi of downplaying the suffering of ordinary Nigerians for political gain:

“How do you trivialize the serious issue of hunger and poverty just to score political points? That’s an insult to Nigerians.

“This is someone who controlled enormous resources from 1999 to 2023, who once claimed on national TV that he doesn’t like money—while videos were showing him with stacks of dollars. Yet, some still take him seriously.”

Wike also questioned Amaechi’s political influence:

“What influence? In 2015, he couldn’t produce a successor. He couldn’t even deliver 25 percent for his party’s presidential candidate. He was a minister in 2019 and acted like a field commander. Still, nothing.

“He said he produced a governor—but he couldn’t produce a candidate. As Director-General of Buhari’s campaign, he failed to deliver the basics.

“In 2023, he backed Atiku and PDP. Fortunately, we didn’t support them. If they had won, he’d have claimed all the credit. But they failed miserably, didn’t even get 10 percent. So where’s the influence?”

Wike concluded by saying Amaechi and his political allies should start their so-called coalition from their own home states before thinking of challenging the President.