Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has launched a scathing attack on former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, dismissing his recent claims about widespread hunger in Nigeria as a desperate ploy for political relevance.
The sharp rebuke came during a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, following Amaechi’s comments at his 60th birthday celebration where he stated: “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power. In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”
Wike, Amaechi’s longtime political rival from Rivers State, responded with characteristic bluntness: “We have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria. I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.”
The FCT Minister methodically dismantled Amaechi’s claims by chronicling his political career: “He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023. He never spoke about hunger during those years. Now they are regrouping. They are only hungry for power. This shows his failure.”
Wike questioned the timing and motive behind Amaechi’s sudden concern for Nigerians’ welfare: “How can you trivialise the issue of hunger? He joined Atiku and claimed hunger. It is clear he cannot stay out of power. From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi stood before Nigerians and claimed hunger.”
The minister highlighted Amaechi’s political setbacks, including his failure to deliver significant votes as Buhari’s campaign DG: “He was a former governor who couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections, despite being the campaign DG. Thank God we did not support the PDP; otherwise, he would have taken the glory.”
Wike challenged the opposition’s rhetoric about removing the president: “Let’s see how he plans to remove the president. Is it a military coup? The term ‘removal’ is synonymous with dictatorship or military coup. Nigerians remember what happened in 2015, and now he claims Nigerians are hungry.”
Asserting his political value, Wike concluded: “I am not a liability; I am an asset. You may dislike me, but I am an asset in ensuring President Tinubu wins a second term.”
