Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has publicly dismissed recent remarks by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, describing them as immature and unbecoming of a national leader.
The latest exchange began after Wike ridiculed Amaechi’s comments on hunger during his 60th birthday celebration. Wike accused the former Rivers governor of using hunger as a political tool while allegedly craving power.
Speaking during a public event, Wike said: “We have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria. I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.
“He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023. He never spoke about hunger during those years.
“Now they are regrouping. They are only hungry for power. This shows his failure. He joined Atiku and claimed hunger. He cannot stay out of power. From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi stood before Nigerians and claimed hunger. He was a former governor who couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections, despite being the campaign DG.”
Responding on Arise Television on Tuesday, Amaechi dismissed Wike’s remarks as childish, stressing his seniority and pivotal role in Wike’s early political career.
“I was once his boss, whether he likes it or not. I hired him. I could have said no,” Amaechi said. “God, Peter Odili, the judiciary, and the people of Rivers State made me governor. I say this because I don’t want to engage in childish disputes.”
Amaechi also criticised what he described as Wike’s tendency to rewrite history and inflate his contributions.
“Ask him how he made me governor. I wanted him as chief of staff so I could supervise him. I didn’t offer him commissioner for finance. He made himself chief of staff, governor, minister, and local government chairman,” he said.
Wike, in previous interviews, has claimed credit for Amaechi’s political rise, including the controversial assertion that he “made” him governor. Recalling past events, Wike said:
“I was the one God used to make Amaechi governor. I even have a tape from church where he said that after God, I’m next.
“We all sat to make him governor, and I championed it. How do you call someone who made you governor an employee?”
According to Wike, despite Amaechi’s claims, he had been a trusted adviser and was offered the role of Commissioner for Finance but declined.
However, Amaechi flatly rejected this version of events, asserting that Wike served strictly under his directive and that any revision of that history was an attempt to distort the truth.
Beyond personal grievances, Amaechi also lamented what he sees as the erosion of political civility and respect for family reputation.
“There is no longer respect for family names. People say and do anything,” he said, expressing concern over the tone of political discourse in the country.
