Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has reacted to recent comments made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, dismissing them as childish provocations unworthy of serious attention.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Amaechi responded to a series of jabs Wike had thrown at him recently, particularly mocking his statement at a public event where he declared, “We’re all hungry.”
Wike’s Mockery and Amaechi’s Rebuttal
In a previous media appearance, Wike had ridiculed Amaechi’s comment about hunger, suggesting that the former governor was not physically hungry but merely craving political relevance. Wike further boasted about being instrumental in Amaechi’s political ascension, even going as far as claiming responsibility for his emergence as governor of Rivers State.
However, Amaechi dismissed those claims outright, attributing his rise to divine will and legal precedent, not Wike’s influence.
“Nobody made me governor,”
Amaechi asserted.
“God, Peter Odili, and the Nigerian judiciary made me governor. Nobody else.”
He criticized the public for failing to question Wike’s repeated claim of having made him governor, asking rhetorically:
“That man keeps saying he made me governor. Has anyone ever asked him, how did he make me governor?”
Wike Was Kept Close to Be Watched — Amaechi
Amaechi also addressed the circumstances surrounding Wike’s appointment as Chief of Staff during his administration as Rivers State Governor, explaining that the decision was strategic.
“Mohammed Adoke flew from Abuja to Port Harcourt that week and asked me to appoint Wike as Commissioner for Finance. I refused. I wanted him under direct supervision,” Amaechi said.
“I made him Chief of Staff so I could keep a close eye on him. I didn’t offer him the finance portfolio.”
Amaechi further emphasized that he had the final say in Wike’s appointment and could have denied him the opportunity altogether.
“I was his boss. Whether he accepts it or not. I hired him. I could have said no.”
Amaechi: “Wike is a Self-Made Man… Literally”
In a pointed remark aimed at mocking Wike’s perceived self-aggrandizement, Amaechi said:
“You know, he made himself everything chief of staff, governor, minister, local government chairman. Everything was his doing, according to him.”
Despite the apparent provocation, Amaechi made it clear he would not engage in a prolonged exchange of words with Wike, characterizing such an interaction as stooping too low.
“I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children,” he added, suggesting that Wike’s behavior lacked the maturity expected of a public official.
Background: A Longstanding Political Rivalry
The Amaechi-Wike feud spans over a decade and has shaped much of Rivers State’s political landscape. Once allies in the same political camp, their relationship soured after Amaechi's exit from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Wike’s emergence as his political adversary.
Their rivalry has persisted through successive elections and administrations, often spilling into the national stage, where both have held key ministerial positions under different administrations.
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