Wike Renews Brawl With Amaechi On Day He Buries Mother

The long-running political feud between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, took a fresh turn on Saturday as Wike reignited their rivalry on the day Amaechi buried his mother.

While Amaechi was in Rivers State for the burial rites of his late mother, Wike used a separate political gathering in the state to revive the former governor’s 2014 argument on the meaning of “brotherhood” and turn it against him ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Wike recalled Amaechi’s earlier position that political brotherhood was not necessarily about blood relations, but about identifying with the people and their problems.

He said he would adopt the same definition in determining who Rivers people should support in 2027.

According to Wike, Amaechi had previously described former President Goodluck Jonathan as someone who did not identify with the people, while considering Muhammadu Buhari a “brother” because of his perceived connection with them.

The FCT Minister then questioned Amaechi’s achievements as Transportation Minister, particularly for Rivers State and the South-South, accusing him of relocating the proposed transportation university to Daura, Katsina State, in pursuit of his presidential ambition.

“When he was minister, what did he do for us? Rather, he took the transportation university to Daura in Katsina State, thinking that it would make him president. Did they make him president?” Wike asked.

Wike contrasted Amaechi’s record with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s relationship with Rivers State, citing the appointment of Rivers indigenes as Vice Chancellors of the University of Port Harcourt and the newly established University of Environment.

“Now, Asiwaju has identified with us. Our sons are now Vice Chancellors of the University of Port Harcourt and the newly established University of Environment, which Amaechi denied us,” he said.

He consequently declared Tinubu a “brother” to Rivers people and said the state would apply Amaechi’s own definition of brotherhood in the 2027 election.

“That means Tinubu is our brother, and we have adopted him as our brother. So, we are going to follow Amaechi's definition and vote President Tinubu over him and the ADC,” Wike said.

The latest exchange adds a fresh layer to the bitter political rivalry between the two former allies, whose relationship has deteriorated into one of the most prominent political battles in Rivers State.

Amaechi is currently the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, with the party emerging as a major opposition platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election.