A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akindele Ayekooto, has waded into the ongoing war of words between former Rivers State governors Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike, declaring that Wike has politically outmaneuvered and humbled Amaechi.
In a strongly worded Facebook post on Wednesday, Ayekooto said Wike had successfully displaced Amaechi from both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC, rendering the former Minister of Transportation politically irrelevant in Rivers State.
“Amaechi, how can you call the man who pursued you from PDP, pursued you from APC, and pursued you from Rivers politics a child?” Ayekooto wrote. “He defeated you as a sitting governor, defeated you as a sitting minister, and turned you into a hungry man.”
The statement came in reaction to Amaechi’s recent interview during his 60th birthday celebration in Abuja, where he expressed dissatisfaction with the economic hardship in the country under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Amaechi stated that both he and many Nigerians were experiencing hunger, a comment that drew swift criticism from Wike.
Responding during a separate media interaction, Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accused Amaechi of being “hungry for power” rather than food. He also dismissed Amaechi’s claim of political mentorship, asserting that the former governor was never his boss.
Amaechi, in turn, described Wike as a political subordinate, saying he appointed Wike as Chief of Staff during his administration to closely supervise him. According to Amaechi, Wike had initially lobbied to become the Commissioner for Finance, a request he declined.
“I wanted him (Wike) as Chief of Staff so I could supervise him,” Amaechi explained.
The political rivalry between the two Rivers heavyweights has been longstanding, but the recent exchange has reignited tensions, with observers noting that Wike’s rise within the current APC-led federal government may be reshaping the power dynamics once dominated by Amaechi.
As both men continue to trade jabs, the rift signals a deepening divide within the political structure of Rivers State — a battleground that may play a significant role in future national politics.
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