Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has taken a swipe at his political rival and successor, Nyesom Wike, challenging him to a public walk to test their popularity.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Amaechi expressed disappointment over what he described as Wike’s continued disrespect towards him.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t respect people like us,” Amaechi said during the interview. “I am older than him. I brought him up in politics. Who is he?”
He went further to challenge Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to walk with him from Abuja to Port Harcourt without security escorts.
“Let the Minister of the FCT come, let’s take a walk from the airport to Port Harcourt — no police, no army, just the two of us. Let’s see who the people follow,” Amaechi said boldly.
Amaechi also used the opportunity to confirm his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC). He disclosed that he officially left the party on Tuesday, ending his long-standing membership with the ruling party.
Amaechi and Wike have been political rivals since the former handed over to the latter as Rivers State governor in 2015. Their rivalry has often played out in public, with both men exchanging words and taking opposing political paths.
With this latest development, political watchers in Rivers State and beyond are keeping an eye on what could be the next chapter in their long-standing feud.