The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has publicly criticized his predecessor as Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, dismissing Amaechi’s recent “I’m hungry” statement as a craving for power.
Speaking to the media in Abuja on Monday, Wike asserted that Amaechi’s declaration of hunger, made during his 60th birthday celebration last week, is a political ploy. Amaechi had commented on the nation’s economic state, stating, “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.” He also added that “In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”
Wike sharply rebuked Amaechi’s comments, stating, “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.”
Wike highlighted Amaechi’s extensive political career, noting, “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.”
The FCT Minister accused Amaechi and his allies of “regrouping” and being “only hungry for power.” He questioned the sincerity of Amaechi’s claim, calling it a sign of “failure” and a trivialization of the serious issue of hunger. Wike also pointed out that Amaechi, despite being the Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaign, “couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections.”
“Thank God we did not support the PDP; otherwise, he would have taken the glory,” Wike remarked, alluding to the 2023 general elections. He challenged Amaechi to “form their team and start from home in Rivers” to demonstrate their political strength.
Wike also expressed concern over Amaechi’s use of the word “remove” in reference to the current 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,” Wike stated, reminding Nigerians of the 2015 political landscape.
Concluding his remarks, Wike affirmed his own political standing, stating, “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.”
Both Wike and Amaechi have held significant political offices in Rivers State and at the federal level. Amaechi served two terms as Rivers State Governor (2007-2015) and was Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He also chaired the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (2011-2015) and was Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly (1999-2007), where he also served as the pioneer chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.
Wike Slams Amaechi: ‘He’s Hungry for Power, Not Food’
