The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that the people of Rivers State will vote for President Bola Tinubu rather than the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, in the 2027 presidential election.
Wike made the assertion on Saturday while speaking in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he criticised Amaechi’s political record and recalled his decision to support former President Muhammadu Buhari against then-President Goodluck Jonathan in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
The FCT Minister questioned Amaechi’s contributions to Rivers State during his tenure as Minister of Transportation, accusing the former Rivers State governor of failing to deliver significant benefits to the state.
Wike particularly criticised the decision to establish the University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State, rather than in Rivers State, arguing that the move was motivated by Amaechi’s political ambitions.
“In 2014, Amaechi defined who a brother is. Other speakers didn’t want to call his name. Well, I have the capacity to call his name all the time,” Wike said.
He recalled Amaechi’s argument at the time that brotherhood was based not on blood relations but on identifying with the interests and challenges of the people.
“Amaechi defined a brother as one who identifies with us in terms of problems. He said brotherhood is not blood relation. So, we are going to copy that definition for the 2027 presidential election,” he said.
According to Wike, Amaechi had argued ahead of the 2015 election that Jonathan had failed to care for the people of the South-South, while Buhari was their “brother” because he would identify with their concerns.
Wike said the same principle should now be applied to the 2027 election, arguing that Tinubu had demonstrated greater commitment to Rivers State.
“Amaechi said Jonathan never cared for us and that Buhari was our brother because he would identify with us. If that’s the case, he now wants to run for Vice President.
“When he was minister, what did he do for us? Rather, he took the transportation university to Daura in Katsina State, thinking that it would make him president. Did they make him president?” Wike asked.
The minister also cited recent developments in Rivers State’s education sector as evidence of what he described as Tinubu’s identification with the state.
“Now, Asiwaju has identified with us. Our sons are now Vice Chancellors of the University of Port Harcourt and the newly established University of Environment, which Amaechi denied us.
“That means Tinubu is our brother, and we have adopted him as our brother. So, we are going to follow Amaechi’s definition and vote President Tinubu over him and the ADC,” Wike said.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation, is currently serving as the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
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