Wike to Amaechi: What Did You Bring to Rivers After 24 Years in Power?

Wike to Amaechi: What Did You Bring to Rivers After 24 Years in Power?

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has challenged former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to identify the projects and political empowerment he attracted to Evo Kingdom and Rivers State during his 24 years in senior public office.

Wike made the remarks on Friday, October 2, 2026, during an interactive session with leaders and stakeholders of Evo Kingdom in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Amaechi served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years, governor of the state for eight years and Minister of Transportation for eight years.

Wike questioned what he described as Amaechi’s record of development and political empowerment, challenging stakeholders to identify tangible projects he said the former governor attracted to the area during his time in office.

“Someone was Speaker of the House of Assembly for eight years, Governor for eight years, and Minister for eight years—that is 24 years in top leadership positions,” Wike said.

He asked the people of Evo Kingdom and Rivers State to identify what Amaechi attracted to the area during those years, adding that he could list projects he personally attracted to the state while serving as Minister of State for Education.

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Wike also criticised what he described as a leadership style in which political office holders fail to develop successors or empower others to take over from them.

He said leadership should involve human capacity development, creating opportunities for others and building structures that can survive after a leader leaves office.

The FCT minister said his own political ambition was no longer centred on returning to positions he had previously occupied.

“I can’t be a governor again. I’ve been a minister two times. I cannot be chairman of council again. So I am happy. I don’t have anything to lose,” he said.

Wike also said political leaders should leave behind people capable of sustaining whatever structures or achievements they established while in office.

According to him, leadership becomes fragile when everything is built around one individual and collapses after that person leaves the political scene.

The minister further recalled his administration’s restructuring of the traditional institution in Rivers State, saying it gave Evo Kingdom representation on the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers.

The latest comments are part of the continuing political exchanges between Wike and Amaechi, who served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, with Wike succeeding him in office.

Amaechi, who is now the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, has also recently criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over its record of infrastructure delivery and the impact of economic policies on Nigerians. (Channels Television)

Wike, meanwhile, has continued to publicly support President Tinubu and has been mobilising political stakeholders in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections. During his latest engagement with the Evo Kingdom stakeholders, he also urged political actors to work together in the interest of the state.

The claims made by Wike about Amaechi’s record of projects and empowerment represent his assessment of his political rival and are part of an ongoing political dispute between the two former Rivers governors.

Wike to Amaechi: What Did You Bring to Rivers After 24 Years in Power?