Wike Declares Amaechi’s 2027 Presidential Bid ‘Dead on Arrival’
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the presidential ambition of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, describing it as “dead on arrival.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Wike insisted that Nigerians would not entrust Amaechi with the presidency in the 2027 general elections.
Amaechi, who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in 2022 and came second behind eventual winner, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, defected from the ruling APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2025.
He is widely believed to be positioning himself to secure the ADC’s presidential ticket in 2027.
But Wike, who governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023 after succeeding Amaechi, argued that his predecessor stood no chance.
“He (Amaechi) knows he won’t get the ticket,” Wike said. “I read that he said he knows the weaknesses of the president, so he knows how to defeat him. But he also knew the weaknesses of the president in 2022 when the president defeated him mercilessly in the primary.
Nigerians know the last person they will give a ticket to because they know it is dead on arrival.”
The FCT minister further questioned Amaechi’s credentials on governance and anti-corruption, accusing him of lacking respect for the judiciary and the rule of law during his tenure as Rivers governor between 2007 and 2015.
Wike and Amaechi, once political allies in Rivers State, have endured a bitter rivalry since their days in government. Their feud has continued to play out on the national stage, with both men occupying significant political roles in different periods.
Although Wike is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he serves as the only opposition figure in President Tinubu’s cabinet, a role that has fueled allegations of anti-party activities and deepened divisions within the PDP.
Amaechi has not formally responded to Wike’s comments as of the time of filing this report.
