Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has challenged former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and ex-Senate President David Mark to test their electoral relevance in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with reporters on Friday in Abuja, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s capacity to deliver Rivers State to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), despite the latter’s influence in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He cited previous election cycles—particularly 2015 and 2019—where Amaechi, even as Director-General of the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign, failed to secure strong APC wins in Rivers. Wike noted that “federal might” deployed during those periods did not stop him from winning governorship elections in the state, which he described as politically resistant to external pressure.
“Are we saying today, if an election is conducted in Rivers state, that Rotimi Amaechi will deliver it to the ADC?” Wike queried.
“Remember, he was a governor. When I ran for governor, he was in the APC. Who defeated him? And he was the Director-General of the campaign then.
“In 2019, during my second-term run, he was the Minister of Transportation and still the DG of Buhari’s campaign,” he added.
Wike also turned his attention to David Mark, the national chairman of the ADC, questioning whether the former Senate President could even deliver his home state of Benue.
“Take Benue, for example. The former Senate President—their so-called chairman—his own daughter won under the APC while he was in the PDP,” Wike mocked.
The minister’s remarks signal an intensifying political battle ahead of 2027, with Rivers State positioned as a key electoral battleground.
