The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a fresh political broadside against his predecessor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, declaring that Rivers State will apply Amaechi’s own political standard of “brotherhood” to reject him ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike spoke at St Martin’s Anglican Church, in Omagwa, on Saturday, during a grand civic reception organised in his honour by the stakeholders and people of Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Responding to comments by political leaders and legal luminaries, Wike revisited how Amaechi redefined brotherhood in the lead-up to the 2015 general elections to justify opposing former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Amaechi defined a brother as one who identifies with you in times of trouble, relates with you, thinks about your welfare, and cares about your survival. He said brotherhood is not about blood relationship; it is purely based on survival and mutual support.” Wike told the crowd: “When Goodluck Jonathan was President, our brother said Jonathan never cared for us and therefore could not be our brother. He told everyone that Muhammadu Buhari was our brother because Buhari would identify with us. We are taking a cue from him because he was governor before me. That definition was a very good one, and we are going to follow it until he tells us otherwise.”
Wike also accused Amaechi of failing the same test of brotherhood during his seven-year tenure as Minister of Transportation, questioning what tangible federal projects he brought home to Rivers State.
He said: “What happened during all those years he was Minister of Transportation? Did he relate with us? Did he think about our problems? Did he bring anything here?” Wike asked. “Instead, he established the Federal University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State, because he thought sending a university there would make him president. Did they make him president?”
The FCT minister further alleged that despite having Amaechi as Minister, he failed to support an Ikwerre son and prominent scholar, Professor Okechukwu Onuchukwu, to emerge as the Vice Chancellor of the institution.
In contrast, Wike asserted that President Bola Tinubu has fulfilled the operational meaning of brotherhood by addressing key concerns of the state, ensuring Rivers sons secure top academic leadership positions, and providing critical support.
“President Tinubu has identified with us, related with us, understood our problems, and helped solve them. Therefore, by the very definition of brotherhood that Amaechi gave us, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our brother, and we have adopted him as such,” Wike declared.
