The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the presidential ambition of former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, saying it is “dead on arrival.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Wike insisted Nigerians would not give Amaechi a chance in the 2027 election.
Amaechi, who came second to Bola Tinubu in the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary, defected in 2025 from the ruling party to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in pursuit of the party’s 2027 ticket.
But Wike, Amaechi’s successor as Rivers State governor, maintained that his predecessor stood no chance.
“He knows he won’t get the ticket. He claimed he knows the president’s weaknesses, yet in 2022 the president defeated him mercilessly in the primary. Nigerians know the last person they will give a ticket to,” Wike said.
The FCT minister also faulted Amaechi’s record in governance, alleging he disrespected the judiciary and ignored the rule of law during his time as Rivers governor.
The pair, once political allies, have since become bitter rivals, with their feud continuing to shape Rivers politics.