Amaechi will be caged politically, Wike shouldn’t bother about Ikwerre votes — Wihioka

A former member of the House of Representatives, Chidi Wihioka, has declared that former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, will be politically “caged”, while advising the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, not to be worried about securing the votes of the Ikwerre people.

Wihioka made the declaration in a fresh political confrontation involving some of the major political actors in Rivers State, according to a report published by Daily Post on Thursday.

The former lawmaker’s comments have added another dimension to the intense political rivalry involving Amaechi, Wike and other influential figures in the state.

Wihioka was quoted as saying that political forces opposed to Amaechi would prevent him from gaining the upper hand in the unfolding political contest.

He reportedly declared, “We’ll cage him,” in reference to Amaechi, while dismissing concerns about the former governor’s political influence.

The statement is expected to generate reactions among supporters of the former governor, who remains one of the prominent political figures to have emerged from Rivers State.

Wihioka also reportedly told Wike not to bother about the votes of the Ikwerre people, suggesting that the former governor should focus on the broader political contest rather than being overly concerned about Amaechi’s influence within the Ikwerre political bloc.

The comment is significant because both Amaechi and Wike are from Rivers State and have, at different times, relied on extensive political structures and alliances across the state.

The struggle for political influence in Rivers has frequently featured the question of who controls key voting blocs, particularly in areas regarded as politically influential.

Amaechi and Wike were once members of the same political family before becoming fierce political opponents.

Amaechi, who served as Rivers governor from 2007 to 2015, later became Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari. Wike succeeded him as governor and subsequently became Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Their political rivalry has remained one of the defining features of Rivers State politics, with both camps repeatedly clashing over control of the state’s political structure.

Wihioka was himself previously associated with the Amaechi political camp but later became critical of the former governor.

The latest comments therefore underscore the continuing realignment of political forces in Rivers State as politicians and their supporters position themselves for future electoral battles.

The renewed exchange comes against the backdrop of increasing political activity across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Rivers State remains strategically important because of its population, economic significance and political influence in the South-South region.

With major political figures already positioning themselves and forming alliances, statements such as Wihioka’s are likely to further heighten political tensions and trigger counter-reactions from rival camps.

As the political contest gathers momentum, the battle for influence over Rivers’ voting blocs is expected to intensify, with Amaechi, Wike and their respective allies likely to remain at the centre of the state’s political calculations.

Amaechi will be caged politically, Wike shouldn’t bother about Ikwerre votes — Wihioka

Benue Govt Challenges Obi to Name Aide Behind Yelewata Convoy Blockade

…Says police should arrest anyone found culpable

The Benue State Government has challenged the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, to identify the government aide he alleged mobilised youths to block his convoy from accessing Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of the state.

The government said it was ready to support a full investigation into the incident and insisted that anyone found to have orchestrated the alleged obstruction should face the law.

The challenge was issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula, while appearing on The Morning Show, an Arise TV programme, on Wednesday.

Kula urged Obi and the NDC to go beyond making the allegation by naming the alleged aide and presenting evidence linking the individual to the reported blockade.

He said the police had the statutory responsibility to investigate the allegation, identify those behind the incident and prosecute anyone found culpable.

“The incident was completely unknown to the government until we started seeing pictures of what was happening,” Kula said.

He added, “I challenged them that they should name that aide. They mentioned a particular aide, and we said they should go ahead and mention him. If there’s any evidence, the police commissioner should ensure that the person who directed this is arrested and brought to book.”

The governor’s spokesman dismissed suggestions that Governor Alia could have deployed youths to frustrate Obi’s movement, insisting that the governor did not encourage political thuggery.

According to Kula, if Obi’s visit was considered a security or political threat, the appropriate course of action would have been to deploy recognised security agencies rather than mobilise youths.

“Governor Alia does not promote thuggery in Benue State. If Obi is a threat to him, or maybe he felt that Obi’s coming would cause a problem for him, the right thing to do is to get legitimate security operatives to do the needful and not to gather youths or send them to go and block him,” he said.

The controversy erupted following Obi’s reported attempt to visit Yelewata, a community in Guma LGA that was devastated by a deadly attack in June 2025, in which more than 200 people were reportedly killed.

Obi subsequently accused the state government of frustrating his visit after youths allegedly blocked his convoy and prevented him from accessing the community.

The Benue State Government, however, has denied having prior knowledge of the former Anambra State governor’s visit.

Kula reiterated that neither Governor Alia nor the state security agencies were informed ahead of Obi’s movement to Yelewata.

He questioned how a presidential candidate could embark on a visit to a security-sensitive community without ensuring that the relevant security agencies were adequately informed.

“If you are visiting a state, the security apparatus of the state is supposed to know. The Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS, Civil Defence and others are supposed to be aware so that they can provide adequate security for you,” he stated.

Kula also questioned how youths could have successfully blocked Obi’s convoy if adequate security arrangements had been made for the visit.

He maintained that the governor had not received any security briefing concerning Obi’s movement to Yelewata.

Meanwhile, the governor’s spokesman acknowledged that insecurity remained a major concern in Benue, despite describing the security situation as having improved to what he called “relative peace.”

He, however, stressed that the improvement would not make the state government complacent.

“What is happening in Benue State in respect to insecurity is happening to other states. It’s not peculiar to Benue,” Kula said.

“But there is no excuse saying that because it’s happening to other states, we should be comfortable. We are not comfortable.”

He said Governor Alia remained deeply concerned about insecurity and was committed to reducing attacks across the state to the barest minimum.

The latest controversy comes against the backdrop of heightened political activity and continuing concerns over security in parts of Benue, with the Yelewata incident again putting the state’s security situation and the relationship between political actors under public scrutiny.

Benue Govt Challenges Obi to Name Aide Behind Yelewata Convoy Blockade