WIKE DECLARES SELF AS ASSET TO TINUBU’S SECOND TERM BID, SLAMS AMAECHI FOR TRIVIALISING HUNGER
• Insists No One in PDP Has the Courage to Expel Him, Accuses Bode George of Ground Rent Default
• APC Slams Atiku, El-Rufai, Amaechi as Power-Hungry Politicians
• Dickson Urges Caution Against Opposition Forces That Failed to Improve Nigeria
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he remains a political asset—not a liability—to President Bola Tinubu and pledged his full support for the president’s re-election bid in 2027.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja, Wike said no one within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the authority or standing to question his loyalty or status in the party. He also alleged that former PDP deputy national chairman, Chief Olabode George, owes ground rent in Abuja, describing him as a defaulter.
Wike, who has remained a controversial figure within the PDP while working in Tinubu’s cabinet, promised to lead the APC campaign in Rivers State for the president’s re-election. Tinubu had received less than 10% of votes in the state during the 2023 election.
“You’ve seen what I’ve done here. I’ve said I will back Asiwaju. The same way we secured victories in other elections, we’ll do it again. I’m not a burden—I’m a valuable asset,” he stated.
“Whether people like me or not, I am committed to ensuring Tinubu secures a second term. I’ll lead his campaign in Rivers. He didn’t perform well in 2023, but he’ll win next time. That’s not a secret,” he added.
Wike also criticized the PDP’s leadership, suggesting the party could collapse if internal issues persist. He blamed recent defections in Delta and Akwa Ibom on poor leadership and a lack of strategic engagement.
He took aim at his political rival and predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of using his 60th birthday event to mislead the public and complain about hunger in the country, despite being in power for 24 years without addressing such issues himself.
“Amaechi was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, and Governor from 2007 to 2015, then Minister until 2023. He never raised concerns about hunger during those years. Now that he’s out of power, suddenly he’s ‘hungry’? It’s not hunger for food—it’s hunger for power,” Wike said.
He accused Amaechi of hypocrisy, claiming that despite his long tenure in government, he failed to deliver on key promises, influence outcomes, or produce political successors.
Wike also challenged the PDP’s internal critics questioning his loyalty. “I remain in PDP. No one can claim I’m not a member. Who has done more for the party than I have?” he asked.
Turning his attention to Bode George, Wike said the PDP chieftain had no moral standing to speak on governance, accusing him of being among over 3,000 individuals who have defaulted on property ground rent in Abuja.
“I’ve seen the list—his name is number 3,092. A senior figure like him refusing to pay ground rent? Then he complains about government action,” Wike said.
He condemned the culture of non-compliance among Nigerian elites, contrasting it with the accountability expected abroad, and warned that attitudes driven by religion and ethnicity are holding the country back.
APC Condemns Atiku, El-Rufai, and Amaechi as Power-Hungry Elites
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi, accusing them of being driven by personal ambition and desperation to reclaim power.
Reacting to criticism made during Amaechi’s birthday celebration in Abuja, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described the event as a political gathering of “displaced rent-seekers” who contributed to Nigeria’s current challenges.
“These men occupied top positions between 1999 and 2023, yet failed to address poverty or fix structural issues,” Morka said.
He accused them of selling off national assets for personal gain, overseeing corruption, and fueling state violence.
Focusing on Amaechi, Morka said: “He spent 24 years feeding off public funds. Eight years as Speaker, eight years as Governor, and another eight as Minister—yet he made no significant effort to fight poverty.”
He dismissed Amaechi’s claim of being “hungry,” interpreting it as a metaphor for longing to return to government patronage, adding: “Barely two years out of office, he’s craving the benefits of power again.”
Morka claimed Tinubu’s reforms are dismantling the old economic system that enriched such figures, saying their resistance to these policies is rooted in personal loss, not concern for the people.
He accused Atiku and Peter Obi of benefiting from an import-driven economy that Tinubu is now restructuring to encourage local production and investment.
Dickson: Beware of the Same Political Actors Who Removed Jonathan
Also weighing in, former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson warned Nigerians not to fall for political coalitions made up of individuals who engineered the removal of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Speaking during the same event, Dickson said these “expert conspirators” had not brought any meaningful change to the country and urged Nigerians to scrutinize their intentions.
“You who claimed to have taken out a so-called ‘clueless’ government—where has it gotten us 11 years later?” he asked.
He cautioned his colleagues and the public to “shine your eyes,” warning that aligning with old political forces driven by ambition could again leave Nigeria worse off.
