Wike Slams Amaechi’s Anti-Corruption Claims, Declares His 2027 Presidential Bid “Dead on Arrival”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has come down hard on his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, over his recent comments about fighting corruption and his rumoured presidential ambition in 2027.
On Tuesday, Wike rubbished Amaechi’s claims that he could end corruption in Nigeria within one month if elected president. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Wike described the former Rivers governor’s comment as “garbage,” insisting Amaechi’s own record was tainted with corrupt practices.
Wike told PulseNets that Amaechi’s antecedents clearly disqualified him from making such lofty declarations. He recalled how, as governor, Amaechi sealed off the Rivers State High Court for nearly two years, effectively shutting down the judiciary.
According to Wike:
“It’s only in Nigeria that we forget things easily, a man comes to tell you that he would end corruption in one month, is the man taking the issue of corruption very seriously?
Let’s start with his antecedents. He was a governor of Rivers State, right? What can be more corruption when you don’t want an arm of government to exist. Can there be good governance without obeying the rule of law?
A man who was governor and refused the judiciary to operate, a man who was governor and who would stop corruption, sealed up the state High Court for almost two years.
The man who said he would stop corruption was the man who stopped the judiciary from existing for nearly two years.
You look at Nigerians, we are so daft; any politician can come and speak to you and you listen to such garbage, that somebody will tell you that he will stop corruption in one month in this country.”
Amaechi’s 2027 Bid: “Dead on Arrival”
Beyond corruption claims, PulseNets also learnt that Wike dismissed Amaechi’s speculated plan to contest the 2027 presidency under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Reports suggest Amaechi, who defected to the ADC, has been positioning himself as a candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in the next general election. However, Wike told PulseNets that Amaechi’s ambition is futile and cannot even survive the party’s screening.
Also Read: Rivers crisis: Tinubu meets Wike, Fubara, Ogoni leaders, others
Featuring again on Politics Today, Wike said:
“He (Amaechi) knows he won’t get the ticket. I read that he said he knows the weaknesses of the president, so he knows how to defeat him, but he also knew the weaknesses of the president in 2022 when the president defeated him mercilessly in the primary.
Nigerians know the last person they will give a ticket to because they know it (Amaechi’s bid) is dead on arrival.”
With Wike’s harsh words, the long-standing political rivalry between the two former Rivers governors has resurfaced, this time against the backdrop of 2027 politics. Amaechi’s anti-corruption rhetoric and hints at Tinubu’s vulnerabilities may resonate with some voters, but Wike’s recall of his controversial tenure and his blunt dismissal of his presidential chances cast a shadow over his ambitions.
For now, Nigerians will be watching closely whether Amaechi can secure the ADC ticket or whether Wike’s prediction that his bid is “dead on arrival” becomes political reality.
