The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has asserted that former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, cannot win the South-South region for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) due to a combination of historical grievances, poor electoral performance, and a perceived lack of infrastructure delivery.
Speaking at his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike argued that the people of the South-South have not forgotten Amaechi’s role in removing former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who are from the region, from their positions.
Wike pointed out that Amaechi boasted about being the Director General of the campaign council that removed a sitting president from his own geopolitical zone.
“Who was that sitting president? Jonathan. From where? South-South. A man from South-South boasted he removed a sitting president who is from South-South. You think the South-South people have forgotten that?” he asked.
Wike said Amaechi also boasted that he “masterminded the removal” of Onnoghen, who he said also comes from the South-South.
The minister then turned to Amaechi’s record in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He pointed to the ports in Rivers, Calabar and Warri and said nothing had been done in the zone.
“Now, the same man could not mastermind anything to help the South-South by making the ports to work.
“What has he now attracted to the South-South, to Rivers State, to make them then let us support him?” Wike asked.
He also questioned the standing of the ADC, which he said was being treated as a major party before it had been tested at the polls.
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“How is it a major party? Have they won one councillorship?” he asked.
Wike said he knew the party’s strategy and that it would fail in the region.
“Nobody can cause crisis in the South-South. We know their strategy. And I can tell them it will not work,” he said.
He said Amaechi had left out part of his own record when he spoke of how history would judge him.
“But he didn’t tell Nigerians that history will also remember him as a DG who removed a sitting president, but who couldn’t get support from his state. He did not say that one,” Wike said.
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