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  • Stop preaching division, exceptionality, ADC warns Atiku, Obi, Amaechi supporters

    Stop preaching division, exceptionality, ADC warns Atiku, Obi, Amaechi supporters

    The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned supporters of presidential aspirants to stop preaching division and exceptionality, ahead of its June primaries.

    National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, gave the warning while speaking on a live audio conversation on X (formerly Twitter) on the state of the nation and polity, yesterday in Abuja.

    Abdullahi also said that holding the 2027 general elections in 2026 as proposed would offer a double-edged sword for ADC, stressing that the party would struggle to heal wounds.

    He, however, pointed out that an early election would, on the other hand work for ADC.  According to him, Nigerians are tired of the present administration.

    Abdullahi said that he had engaged with former Vice-Present Atiku Abubakar and former Governors Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai on the need for strengthening unity in the party before the forthcoming general elections.

    “I spent time talking to Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai on uniting the party and improving Nigeria.

    “Our leaders are aware of the task ahead, and every one of them is committed to ensuring that we win this election together resolutely,” he said.

    On the proposal for the 2027 general elections, Abdullahi said, “Whether elections hold this year or next year, it will work for and against us as opposition.

    READ ALSO; Poor pastor or powerful pastor?

    “Let me also say this, those supporting divisiveness by aspirants should stop because they are working to the advantage of the APC.

    “Saying it is either this candidate or nothing is not helpful; winning the election matters, and divisiveness cannot deliver victory for the party.

    “We believe all aspirants are qualified; vilifying anyone or any region is unhelpful and complicates efforts to strengthen unity within the party ahead of elections.

    “We will ignore people creating exceptionality and focus on our work because we want to win these elections credibly, peacefully, inclusively nationwide together as one.

    “Those shouting Peter Obi or nothing are not helping him; they preach division, limit outreach and harden positions needed for victory across regions and supporters,” he stated.

    The ADC spokesman said the party was taking the forthcoming FCT area council elections seriously, following its poor performance in the Anambra off-season poll and desired to make a statement with the FCT elections.

    He also expressed concern that some state governments were compelling civil servants with National Identification Numbers to register as their party members.

  • Amaechi’s presidential dream goes awry

    Amaechi’s presidential dream goes awry

    Former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, recently stirred controversy by declaring himself a hungry man. His claim did not sit well with many Nigerians who are conscious of his antecedents as an eight-year Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, eight-year governor of Rivers State and eight-year super minister in charge of transportation during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    If a man who has held very prominent positions in government for 24 years is starving just because he is out of office for two years, then something is fundamentally wrong, they argued.

    But fresh information about the former Minister of Transportation is that he is not only hungry, he is also angry. His present rage stems from goings on in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party of former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai, former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola and other disgruntled politicians whose sole mission is to stop the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

    Amaechi, who had lost the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Tinubu in the build-up to the 2023 elections and had been unable to hide his anger over the latter’s victory as the party’s candidate and eventually as the President, had pitched his tent with the sworn enemies of the President in ADC in the hope of securing the party’s ticket to contest the presidential election against Tinubu in 2027.

    Excited at his membership of the party, he had boasted about the pivotal role he played in the formation of the party together with former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi. His excitement has, however, turned into frustration as reality finally hit him that the party touted as a coalition and its main actors are nothing more than pawns on Atiku’s string.

    Read Also: Peterside  calls for credible administrators in NFF

    Amaechi was said to have become dispirited lately after realising that the party’s presidential ticket is designed for Atiku, wondering what use it would be to chase out Tinubu only to replace him with the former VP whose status in the party is not even clear. The ex-minister was also said to have been exasperated that only him and Aregbesola heeded the party’s instruction that members should go to their respective states to hold rallies aimed at wooing people into the party, while Atiku the man they are working for has done nothing more than push out occasional press releases through his media aides.

    Amaechi is also frustrated that the hope of the party to attract political heavyweights remains unfulfilled; a situation compounded by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda’s,  recent declaration that some ADC members were on the verge of defecting to APC.

  • From allies to foes: How Amaechi, Fayemi’s friendship collapsed

    From allies to foes: How Amaechi, Fayemi’s friendship collapsed

    Theirs is a classic instance of the thin line between friendship and enmity, and how quickly one can turn into another.

    Since their days as governors of Ekiti and Rivers states until recently, Sir Kayode Fayemi and Hon. Rotimi Amaechi carried on as the best of friends. Such was the bond between them that they became the brains behind the adoption of African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the rallying point for Atiku, El-Rufai and other political enemies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pursue their mission of stopping his return for a second term in 2027.

    But in an instance of the instability of human relationships, the mission that united them became their veritable source of animosity, so much so that Amaechi was said to have complained loudly that Fayemi no longer picks his calls.

    But how did things go wrong between them?

    Recall that both Amaechi and Fayemi were candidates in the presidential primaries that produced Tinubu as the APC candidate in the build-up to the 2023 elections. Fayemi, however, toed the path of other aspirants like Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole, who stepped down forTinubu moments before the the votes were cast at the Eagle Square venue of the primary election and set the stage for Tinubu to roundly defeat Amaechi, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other party stalwarts who contested the election.

    Read Also: I have fulfilled presidential mandate, says Ibas

    Smarting from his defeat at the presidential primaries, Amaechi resolved to work against Tinubu’s interest, eventually drafting Fayemi, whose hope of getting a slot in Tinubu’s cabinet did not materialise. In their pursuit of this unholy scheme, they hit on the idea of joining forces with other anti-Tinubu forces on a mission to frustrate his administration and make his return in 2027 impossible.

    However, while Amaechi chose to be open about his opposition to Tinubu’s presidency, Fayemi, fearing a backlash, chose to be clandestine. But as it has turned out, their differing approach became the sore point as Amaechi drew Fayemi’s anger with his public declaration that he and the former Ekiti State governor masterminded anti-Tinubu elements’ choice of ADC as the vehicle for the anti-Tinubu mission.

    Apparently embarrassed by Amaechi’s revelation, Fayemi tried to dismiss it with a wave of the hand. “In an era where fabricated or distorted statements are often attributed to public figures for malicious purposes, we are cautious about engaging with potentially manufactured controversies designed to provoke or profit,” he said.

    He added that “it is possible that Hon. Amaechi did not make the statement or was misquoted” and also claimed that there was no video of Amaechi making the claims attributed to him.

    Determined, however, to prove that he is the one to be believed in this game of claims and counter-claims, Amaechi released an audio providing incontrovertible details and naming names to vindicate himself and permanently silence his political ally.

    Amaechi said: “ADC has overgrown those that started it. The coalition started between Fayemi and I in the house of Nasiru Danu, with Salihu Mohammed and others.

    “When we met, Salihu commenced the meeting. He wanted us to reconcile. After reconciliation, we agreed to broaden it so that it would involve more than just the two of us talking about starting a new party.

    “Then we got a consultant to help us look at the political structure and that of INEC to determine which party will be most suitable.

    “Then we expanded by getting (Senator Aminu) Tambuwal and others. By the time we did that, we had grown to about 20 to 30.

    “We thereafter set up a committee to look for any of the available parties to join.

    “The committee, after negotiating with several parties like AA (Action Alliance), Accord Party, ended up with ADC.

    “One of the requirements we set was that the party must give up its leadership so that everyone can join.”

    Amaechi’s detailed explanation has sseen driven Fayemi into absolute silence while Amaechi is going about promoting his presidential ambition. Any surprise that Fayemi is no longer picking his calls?

  • Amaechi: how Fayemi and I began opposition coalition

    Amaechi: how Fayemi and I began opposition coalition

    • ‘We started in Nasiru Danu’s house’
    • These claims lack basis, says ex-Ekiti  governor

    Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi has explained how he and ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, collaborated in galvanising the coalition of opposition and eventually adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Amaechi said both of them decided to expand the opposition coalition to accommodate more people after discussing the idea.

    The former governor of Rivers State spoke on X Spaces titled: ‘Weekend Politics’ last weekend.

    The coalition currently has opposition politicians like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.

    Others include former Senate President David Mark, former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, and former Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi, among others.

    Many Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members have defected to the ADC.

    Amaechi, in the viral audio, said: “ADC has overgrown those that started it.

    “The coalition started between I and Fayemi in the house of Nasiru Danu, with Salihu Mohammed (Mustapha) and others.

    “When we met, Salihu commenced the meeting. He wanted us to reconcile.

    “After reconciliation, we agreed to broaden it so that it would involve more than just the two of us talking about starting a new party.

    “Then, we got a consultant to help us look at the political structure and that of INEC to determine which party will be most suitable.

    “Then, we expanded by getting Tambuwal (Senator Aminu) and others. By the time we did that, we had grown to about 20 to 30.

    “We thereafter set up a committee to look for any of the available parties to join.

    “The committee, after negotiating with several parties like AA (Action Alliance), Accord Party, ended up with ADC

    “One of the requirements we set was that the party must give up its leadership so that everyone can join.

    “I think ADC complied with our conditions. At this point, the coalition had grown too large with several other committees.

    Read Also: Shettima commissions FGs ultra-modern ICT hub, two state aircraft in Cross River

    “There were other group meetings like the one in Kashim’s (Imam) house and others in Lagos.

    “At the end of the day, we all thereafter agreed to come together in ADC.”

     Fayemi: I remain APC member in Ekiti

    After Amaechi’s comment went viral, Fayemi issued a statement to clear the air on his role and the speculation that he had left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the ADC.

    The statement by the Head of Fayemi Media Office, Abuja, Ahmad Sajoh, said: “In spite of efforts to verify this statement, which has gained traction on social and digital media, we have found no credible evidence to support it.

    “No video of Hon. Amaechi making these claims or reports from reputable media organisations has been located.

    “In an era where fabricated or distorted statements are often attributed to public figures for malicious purposes, we are cautious about engaging with potentially manufactured controversies designed to provoke or profit.

    “It is possible that Hon. Amaechi did not make the statement or was misquoted.

    “We unequivocally state that these claims lack any basis.

    “Dr Fayemi remains a committed member and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.”

    According to the statement, Fayemi has, at various public forums in Ekiti and other places, consistently affirmed his dedication to the APC, working to address its challenges and advance its progressive ideals for Nigeria.

    “Furthermore, Dr Fayemi has publicly endorsed His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, Governor of Ekiti State, for re-election, clearly supporting his candidacy for the APC gubernatorial ticket. This underscores his loyalty to the APC.

    “We urge the public to treat any news concerning Fayemi with caution, particularly when it originates solely from social media,” the statement added.

  • No room for Obi, Atiku, Amaechi’s coalition in Ondo, says Aiyedatiwa

    No room for Obi, Atiku, Amaechi’s coalition in Ondo, says Aiyedatiwa

    Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said that those flouting the coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections are day dreamers and unserious politicians who have no better plans for the country. 

    Speaking on Monday while receiving Hon. Dayo Awude, a former deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), into the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, Aiyedatiwa declared that there is no room for the coalition of the opposition figures in Ondo. 

    The governor said that the governing APC remained the sole rallying force for credible politicians in the state ahead of the 2027 general election. 

    “In Ondo State, there is no room for coalition. It is one APC. People join political parties for different reasons, but the interest of the party must always supersede every other interest, and for us in the APC, that interest is to retain power,” he said. 

    Aiyedatiwa lauded the defectors, led by Awude under the Sunshine Grassroots Network (SGN), saying they have made the right decision ahead of the general election to join the APC. 

    He told the defectors to begin grassroots mobilisation in earnestly for the party ahead of the general elections, saying the APC must retain power at the federal and states levels. 

    “You have made the right decision. This is the right place to be because the utmost interest for any political party is to be in power. For us in APC, we want to retain power, and we must do everything that is needed to retain the power. 

    “We acknowledge that you have decided to join us. Your coming will be rewarded. As you can see, the dividends of good governance are showing itself under the leadership of President Tinubu and i as your governor in the state,” he said. 

    While likened the party’s confidence to “the evidence of good governance” under President Bola Tinubu and his own administration, the governor added that the latest wave of defections to the APC will deliver greater numbers” of votes for the party in the election. 

    “Our declaration for Asiwaju is that Ondo State is for Tinubu in 2027. The whole of Ondo state is for Tinubu come 2027, and to realise that, you have decided to join us. We know winning Ondo state is not an issue but to have overwhelming votes, and you are the evidence of those votes.”

    Awude, who ran alongside LP’s governorship candidate, Sola Ebiseeni in 2023, said he joined the APC to add value, adding that he was willing to support President Tinubu and governor Aiyedatiwa’s developmental agenda. 

    Ade Adetimehin, the state chairman of the APC, who welcomed the decampees, urged them to strengthen the party from the grassroots. 

    Read Also: We’re intentional in preventing emergencies, disaster, flooding in Ondo – Aiyedatiwa 

    He also urged them to begin canvassing votes for the party starting their units and wards levels. 

    The latest defection marks a blow to the LP’s influence, especially in Ondo state and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as political realignment intensifies ahead of the 2027 general election. 

    Obi had joined Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the former minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi to form the coalition of opposition figures in the African Democratic Congress (ADC). 

  • Amaechi’s delusions of grandeur are laughable, says Lagos APC

    Amaechi’s delusions of grandeur are laughable, says Lagos APC

    Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted with a mixture of disbelief and amusement to the recent statement credited to Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in which he boasted that he knows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “weaknesses” and will defeat him if given the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Lagos APC in a statement by its spokesman, Seye Oladejo,

    said: ‘’This outburst is nothing more than the desperate rant of a political relic struggling to stay relevant in a political terrain that has long moved past him.

    ‘’For the record, Rotimi Amaechi lacks the pedigree, the structure, the national appeal and the political capital to challenge Asiwaju Tinubu—on any platform, under any condition, in any era.

    Read Also: Group urges caution over Amaechi’s remarks, calls for investigation

    ‘’The idea that he can unseat a sitting president—elected by a clear majority and widely respected across geopolitical zones—using a fringe party like the ADC, is laughable at best and pitiful at worst. Mr. Amaechi, who couldn’t even deliver his unit or command loyalty within his own party structure during the last election cycle, now wants Nigerians to take him seriously as a contender? Nigerians are not fools.

    ‘’What Mr. Amaechi calls “knowing Tinubu’s weaknesses” is nothing but the bitterness of a man whose own political journey has been riddled with betrayal, controversy and decline. While President Tinubu has built leaders, institutions and a legacy of performance, Amaechi’s name has become synonymous with political infighting, disloyalty and personal ambition at the expense of collective progress.

    ‘’Let us be clear: The APC in Lagos and across Nigeria remains solidly behind President Tinubu. No amount of petty media noise, childish provocation, or attention-seeking from expired political actors will change that reality.

    ‘’If Mr. Amaechi feels compelled to contest under the ADC, he is free to test his strength. But he should also brace for the crushing defeat that will inevitably expose just how little support he truly commands.

    ‘’We urge Nigerians to disregard these infantile claims and remain focused on the important task of nation-building under the competent, visionary leadership of President Tinubu.’’

  • We’ll support whoever emerges ADC presidential candidate in fair primary-Amaechi

    We’ll support whoever emerges ADC presidential candidate in fair primary-Amaechi

    A former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said everyone aspiring to fly the presidential flag of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2027 will support anyone that emerges from a free and fair primary election of the party.

    Amaechi described Rivers as a state notorious for writing election results and asked his supporters to prepare to defend their votes.

    The former Transport Minister spoke to his loyalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Wednesday 

    He said his coming was to reassure supporters and Rivers people that there was a new coalitoon under the ADC in town.

    Amaechi said the ADC was formed to end the second-term ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he claimed had brought hardship to the people.

    He asked every Rivers man “that thinks good of the state and the country” register with the new party and vote out the present administration.

    Read Also: Amaechi: frantic, immoderate and self-absorbed

    On ADC presidential ticket, he said:  “The moment anybody emerges from the primaries, we insist on a free, fair and transparent primary, all of us will support whoever emerges”.

    He added: “If you are not tired of President Tinubu, I’m tired of President Tinubu. If you’re not hungry, I’m hungry. If the rich men are spending N4million a month for electricity, only God knows how you are surviving. And the President says he doesn’t care.

    “The President says he is not here to make you happy. But ADC is here to make you happy”, adding that “Rivers State is notorious for writing (election) results. When they write results, they claim they have won. I will not work with you if you work with those result snatchers to announce results. God will bless all of us.

    Addressing the supporters, Amaechi added: “Most importantly, have your eyes on 2027. Please go home and start registration. We will form a committee local government to local government to ascertain the number of people we have. If you allow them rig you out, our state is notorious for writing results and we must stop them from writing results.

    “They make noise after writing results. Go home now and start mobilizing people that will come and vote. Let me tell you one bad thing that we should not do; when you say they have already written the results, you discourage voters from coming out.”

  • Group urges caution over Amaechi’s remarks, calls for investigation

    Group urges caution over Amaechi’s remarks, calls for investigation

    A civil society group, the Coalition for the Defence of Nigeria’s Democracy (CDND), has urged security agencies to investigate recent public comments made by former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, describing them as potentially capable of stirring unrest.

    Amaechi, who recently joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remarks last Thursday during the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey Report by the Africa Polling Institute in Abuja.

    In a statement released on Monday and signed by its national president, Dr. Rufus Obadiah, CDND expressed concern over Amaechi’s references to revolution and public resistance, noting that such rhetoric must be carefully scrutinized to ensure national unity is not undermined.

    According to the group, some of Amaechi’s statements appeared to encourage public agitation and could be misinterpreted as a call for unrest. 

    They urged the relevant authorities, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services, to assess the implications of such comments and act appropriately to uphold national peace.

    CDND also reflected on Amaechi’s track record in public service, noting that his tenure as Governor of Rivers State and as Minister of Transportation spanned 16 years. 

    The group encouraged public figures to remain measured in their statements, especially during politically sensitive times leading to elections.

    Read Also: Amaechi: frantic, immoderate and self-absorbed

    While acknowledging Amaechi’s right to express his political views and intentions for the 2027 elections, the group called for responsibility and restraint from all stakeholders. 

    It emphasised that political discourse should remain peaceful and constructive, promoting national development over division.

    CDND further urged political parties, including the ADC, to continue promoting democratic values and discourage rhetoric that could be seen as confrontational or disruptive. 

    The group advised Nigerians, particularly the youth, to pursue positive change through democratic means and civic engagement rather than emotional or inflammatory reactions.

    Dr. Obadiah concluded by calling for collective efforts toward national progress, urging all political actors to prioritize peace, unity, and accountability in their quest for leadership.

  • Amaechi: frantic, immoderate and self-absorbed

    Amaechi: frantic, immoderate and self-absorbed

    Ignore his early working life as a staff member of former Rivers State governor Peter Odili’s Pamo Clinics and Hospitals, or as a special assistant to the same Dr Odili when the latter took to politics in the early 1990s, or as Rivers State secretary of the Democratic Party of Nigeria in 1996 under the discredited Gen. Sani Abacha transition programme. As a young man trying to find his feet, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and later Transportation minister under the Muhammadu Buhari presidency, can be forgiven for not being choosy or principled. Since he was elected into the Rivers House of Assembly in 1999 and led the legislature as speaker for eight years, he has imbibed a sense of entitlement that has only grown and ossified over the years.

    Nearly all his adult life, Mr Amaechi has been on the public payroll, and has had the good fortune to live in luxury, despite his pretences and lies. To become disconnected from that trough, as he claims government policies have forced him, is to consign him to a fate too tasking for his delicate mind to handle. He has, therefore, developed coping mechanism integral to his personality, but hidden from public view or the private eyes of those who helped him along in life. That mechanism involves deploying cynicism, freneticism, hysteria, immoderation, and his unfounded superior airs. He was in his 30s when he entered public life. About 60 years old now, he feels so traumatised that circumstances impel him to develop a new way of life outside public glare. Until he reenters public office, he will in the interim conspire to incite the public to a revolution by shaming them out of what he described as their docility.

    READ ALSO: Emmiwuks: Meet Nigerian riding bicycle from Nigeria to USA

    Last week, at various forums, including the inauguration of their 2027 presidential programme planned to be executed through the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party, he was all over the media spreading hate speech and ladling out inciting remarks to achieve certain political goals. He tried to justify why the political coalition he supported veered away from founding a new party to instead adopting the generally disused ADC long accustomed to pimping its way through Nigeria’s political minefields, seducing every political straggler. Last week, he pontificated on television why his coalition preferred an old party to a new one. According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was conspiring not to register any new party, with particular animosity to the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) which the coalition had wanted to float. He said nothing about the fact that the coalition had not even applied yet, having only delivered a letter of intent, let alone be denied.

    He was not satisfied denouncing INEC alone, he also lashed out, with no substantiation, that the federal government and INEC planned to rig the 2027 elections. It was not the first time he made that frantic allegation; nor will it be the last time. He had warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could not win a free and fair election, adding that the people must rise up this time to force their way. It is an invitation to chaos, but the security agencies have obviously felt he has not transgressed his constitutional rights. What is incontrovertible is that given his antecedents, especially his lack of moderation and total unconcern for the health of the republic, Mr Amaechi will continue to make incendiary comments about politics, governance, and elections. As governor, he was himself not a model democrat, nor a brilliant policy man, but he sees specks in other people’s eyes than the beams in his own.

    The former Rivers governor has never been able to weigh his words. He speaks grandiosely, excessively and imperiously. In an interview with newsmen after the unveiling of ADC as the 2027 coalition vehicle, he was particularly hyperbolic. “Nigeria is destroyed,” he fulminated. “People can’t eat. People can’t buy food. There’s no money to buy food. Everything is gone. Inflation is at its peak. And the federal government is busy going around trying to hijack the election. INEC is helping them to hijack the election.” Then, on Thursday, at an event in Abuja, he again whined: “The only way you can stop Tinubu from being the president of Nigeria in 2027 is to run an election of Nigerians versus the bandits. If you think you will just sit down and do that, may God be with you. The elites who are stealing Nigerian money are not up to 100,000, but you have 200 million Nigerians who can fight 100,000 men. You sit down in your house and complain and grumble. What makes you think the elites would move their hands completely? Who told you the elites don’t know how you are feeling? They know you are not happy. But you are helpless not because the elites made you helpless; you made yourself helpless.”

    Mr Amaechi rose from obscurity to prominence without the intervening catalyst of leadership training and rhetorical composure. Since he lost the APC presidential primary in 2022, he has grown nasty and acerbic. He does not think anyone matches him in any way, despite his appalling lack of depth and sagacity, not even his former boss, President Muhammadu Buhari whom he once excoriated in unflattering language. It is one thing to be so full of himself, but why also scheme, by excessively foul language, to plunge the country into chaos simply because he thinks he has been denied his due? Yet, rummaging through his years in public service, it is hard to find a few extraordinary achievements to recommend his boasting or validate his grandiosity and pomposity. Years of exaggerating his capacity, not to talk of years of unprincipled and unrestrained politics during which he casually passes judgement on his peers and betters, have conspired to blunt his little appeal and also sentence him to the periphery of Nigerian politics. It is hard to situate him elsewhere.

  • ADC: Wike tackles Amaechi, Mark, Malami, others

    ADC: Wike tackles Amaechi, Mark, Malami, others

    • Denies ex-Transport Minister made him politically

    • Vows to resign over N48b NNDC payment claim

    • Wants President to release forensic audit on Commission

    • Says Nigeria was buried under Buhari; Tinubu on rescue mission

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged President Bola Tinubu to release the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between 2015 and 2022 to the public for Nigerians to know who collected N48 billion annually from the commission.

    Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, monitored by our correspondent, Wike alleged that Abubakar Malami, the former attorney-general of the federation, “killed the document to protect those who are concerned”.

    Wike also dismissed the assertion that Mrs Judith Amaechi, wife of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Roimi Amaechi, is an ‘industrialist’.

    According to him, Mrs Amaechi is a trader, not an industrialist.  .

    He said: “Judith was the head of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), which campaigns against HIV/AIDS, advocates for the rights of women and children, and promotes gender equity and Girl Child education.

     “I will resign from my position as FCT minister if my allegation that N48 billion annually was paid from the federal government is not true.”

    Recall that during an interview on the same programme on Thursday, July 3, Amaechi spoke about his wife being an industrialist who trades in native fabrics.

    But reacting to that claim during his appearance on Channels Television last night, Wike punctured his former principal’s claim.

    He said: “Amaechi’s wife is not an industrialist. I call on Mr President to release the forensic audit of the NDDC, which paid N4 billion every month to train Niger Delta women.

    READ ALSO: Meet Nigerian riding bicycle from Nigeria to USA

    “For one year, that is N48 billion. The forensic report audit is there. Who killed it? It was Malami (Abubakar, the former attorney-general of the federation), one of the people who are talking about coalition.

    He said: “Mr. President should help Nigerians. Please, release the forensic audit of the NDDC.”

    The FCT minister added: “All I am saying is ‘let them release the document. If what I am saying is not in the document, I will resign as the minister of the FCT. I didn’t say the forensic audit was right, all I am saying is release the report”.

    Wike dismissed as lies the claim from former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi that he (Amaechi) made him politically.

    Wike said rather he risked his life and spent all he had to ensure that Amaechi was made Governor of Rivers while Amaechi was in Ghana and Celestine Omehia held sway as governor of Rivers.

    He said: “When he was in Ghana, I would fly to Ghana and he would come to pick me at Ghana International airport with a face cap. I would see him and shed tears.

    “In fact, I took a risk on my life for him. I spent all I had. There was a time I called my wife and gave her my will, that I am taking a risk to travel to Ghana, and if I don’t come back, so be it.”

    On the claims by Amaechi that he relies on his wife for wellbeing and that he is not rich, Wike said: “It is unfortunate for a former governor (Rotimi Amaechi) to say that his wife is an industrialist when she is a trader. I respect women and rarely discuss them.”

    On the comment by Amaechi that Nigerians are hungry and angry, the FCT Minister said the country was dead under the administration of former President Muhumadu Buhari but President Tinubu has rescued the country from economic and institutional death.

    He said: “Tinubu took over an economy that was totally gone, the whole thing had collapsed, and Nigeria was about to be buried.”

    Wike added that two years is not enough to solve Nigeria’s economic crisis.

    Responding to threat by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led coalition to take power in 2027, Wike said: “Tinubu is not Jonathan. The odds were against him in 2023 but he still won.”

    He took a swipe at some of the coalition leaders including former Senate President David Mark who is the interim national chairman of ADC.

    He said: “The road to Benue that was not done when David Mark was Senate President for eight years is now being done by President Tinubu.”

    On the ADC new spokesman, Bolaji Abdulahi, Wike said: “Bolaji Abdullahi wanted to join the APC. He went to meet Kwara State Governor telling him he wanted to write a book about the governor’s achievement (so he could get something). The governor rejected him. That is why he joined the ADC.

    “He left PDP in 2014, came back in 2019, lost senatorial election in 2023, left again for ADC after several attempts to join the APC but Kwara State governor rejected him.”

    We don’t need to talk about Dele Momodu. That one doesn’t have anything it takes apart from eating food anyhow in a bad manner.

    Coalition: You won’t return to power,  Wike tells Amaechi

    Speaking earlier yesterday at the commissioning of the rehabilitated Aguma Palace Road and the New Market Road in the Gwagwalada Area Council of Abuja, Wike asked the promoters of the anti-Tinubu coalition to “show their scorecards”.

    Of Amaechi, he said: “Because you have left office, you are angry. You said Nigerians are angry. You want to come back to power. You won’t come back.”

    Amaechi had on Thursday indicated that he would be seeking the presidential ticket of the ADC and run for one term of four years.

     “You never made angry Nigerians happy, but Tinubu stayed in office for six months and you started saying Nigerians are angry.

     “They said the coalition has started…When will you stop deceiving Nigerians?

    “Somebody came into office six months then you started the coalition. But you had the opportunity to be Minister of Transportation for eight years. What did you do?”

    “Eighteen months ago, you started a coalition—six months into his tenure? When will you stop deceiving Nigerians? Someone had only been in office for six months, and you had already begun forming a coalition claiming he hadn’t performed?”