The African Democratic Congress, ADC, vice presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has hit back at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, after the former Rivers State governor questioned his political value and claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar chose him as running mate because of money.
Amaechi responded to Wike during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television program, on Tuesday, saying he would not engage in a direct exchange with the FCT minister.
“I don’t respond to my subordinate. Wike never hired me. By the time I finish mourning and go into campaign, anybody that insults me, I will insult him back,” Amaechi said.
The exchange is the latest in the long-running political rivalry between the two former governors of Rivers State, whose relationship has deteriorated sharply in recent years.
Wike, who served as Rivers governor from 2015 to 2023, was previously a close political ally of Amaechi. Their relationship, however, became strained after Amaechi left office and Wike took over as governor.
The latest disagreement followed comments by Wike at a media parley with selected journalists on Tuesday.
The FCT minister had reportedly said Amaechi lacked political value in Rivers State. He also claimed that Atiku selected Amaechi as his running mate because of financial considerations.
Wike’s comments came amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties working to build alliances against the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation, emerged as the ADC’s vice presidential candidate after the party’s presidential primary.
He had initially contested the ADC presidential ticket alongside Atiku and other aspirants but lost the primary to the former vice president.
Following the primary, Atiku reached out to Amaechi and discussions began on his possible role in the presidential campaign.
The ADC later announced Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
The decision brought together two prominent politicians who had previously contested for the presidential ticket of the same party.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 and 2023 elections, joined the ADC ahead of the 2027 election as part of efforts by opposition figures to form a broad political platform.
The opposition coalition has been presented as an attempt to challenge the APC and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Amaechi’s emergence as running mate has also added another dimension to the political contest in Rivers State, where his long-standing rivalry with Wike remains a major political issue.
Amaechi served as Rivers governor between 2007 and 2015 before becoming transport minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike succeeded him as governor and served for eight years. Although both men belonged to the PDP at the time, their political relationship eventually broke down.
Their disagreement became particularly intense during the 2023 presidential election. While Amaechi was a prominent member of the PDP and had contested the party’s presidential primary, Wike became one of the five governors known as the G5 who opposed the party’s decision to retain its presidential and national leadership arrangement.
Wike later supported the emergence of Tinubu, who eventually won the presidential election.
After the election, Tinubu appointed Wike as FCT minister, making him one of the most influential figures in the Federal Government despite remaining a member of the PDP.
The former Rivers governor has since maintained his influence in national politics and has remained critical of some opposition politicians.
The latest exchange between Wike and Amaechi is therefore being viewed against the background of their long political history and the battle for influence ahead of the 2027 election.
Amaechi’s warning that he would respond to anyone who insults him when he begins campaigning suggests that the rivalry could become more intense as the election draws closer.
The ADC and its coalition partners are expected to rely on the political strength and experience of figures such as Atiku and Amaechi as they seek to present a strong challenge to the APC.
However, the opposition alliance faces the task of maintaining unity among politicians with different political interests and histories.
The disagreement between Amaechi and Wike also highlights the deep divisions that have characterised opposition politics in Rivers State and at the national level.
With the 2027 election still ahead, political parties are expected to intensify consultations, campaign planning and efforts to win influential political figures and voting blocs.
For Amaechi and Wike, their latest exchange shows that their political rivalry remains alive, despite both men having moved into different political camps.
As campaign activities gather momentum, their exchanges are likely to remain part of the wider political debate over who has the stronger influence in Rivers State and across the country.
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