The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike on Monday dismissed claims that the former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, is influential enough to help the opposition coalition remove President Bola Tinubu.
The minister was reacting to comments made by Amaechi against President Bola Tinubu’s government during his 60th birthday celebration.
Wike said Amaechi lacks such influence, stressing that the former Minister of Transportation could not help ex-President Muhammadu Buhari secure 25 percent votes in Rivers State.
Speaking during his monthly press briefing in Abuja, Wike said: “I don’t know how somebody will use his 60th birthday to tell lies. Years after leaving office – I’m in coalition because I’m hungry, zoning office for power – that shows failure on his part.
“How do you look at Nigerians, trivialize the issue of hunger or poverty. You are insulting Nigerians?
“How would a man who was in government from 1999 to 2023 stand before Nigerians to talk of hunger? This was a man who presided over billions of naira, this was the same man who was on national television saying he doesn’t like money. Meanwhile dollars was showing, he was carrying dollars while telling Nigerians he doesn’t like money, and we are listening to that.
“You say he is influential, what influence? We overrate people, what influence? He was governor in 2015 but couldn’t produce a successor, he couldn’t give his candidate – Buhari – common 25 percent, he was a sitting minister in 2019 and no President has ever moved with soldiers the way he did.
“Amaechi said he produced a governor but couldn’t produce a candidate. Buhari didn’t make 25 percent and he was the DG of his campaign.
“In 2023 he came to support Atiku in PDP, thank God we didn’t support the party. If we had supported PDP and they won, he would have taken the glory. PDP failed, didn’t get 10 percent, so what is the influence?
“Let them form a team and the coalition starts from home to start removing the President.”
Amaechi is currently part of the opposition coalition threatening to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
