Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of misleading Nigerians with his recent remarks on hunger in the country.
Wike claimed Amaechi used his 60th birthday to spread falsehoods about the Bola Tinubu-led administration, stating that his comments were motivated by a thirst for political power.
Speaking on Monday, June 2, during his monthly media chat in Abuja, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s claims, saying, “I don’t know how a man will choose his 60th birthday to tell lies. It’s unfortunate that in your 60th birthday that people are celebrating you, you choose to tell lies.”
He recounted Amaechi’s long history in public office, questioning why the former minister never raised concerns about hunger during his years in power.
“He was Speaker in 1999 to 2007. Everybody knows he was the most pompous Speaker. He was living in London as a Speaker. He became a governor 2007 to 2015.
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“Eight years as a Speaker and eight years as a governor, he never talked about hunger,” Wike said.
Taking aim at Amaechi’s post-ministerial moves, Wike added, “He was a minister for eight years, and two years after he left power he became hungry – hungry for power.
“He joined Atiku and El-Rufai because he is hungry. He can’t just stay out of power.”
Meanwhile, Wike has declared that he will lead President Bola Tinubu’s campaign in the 2027 presidential election, reaffirming his open support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader despite remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Though a prominent PDP chieftain, Wike has become one of Tinubu’s most visible supporters since the 2023 general election, during which he openly campaigned against his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.