“He couldn’t have made it without me. I was a DG — I’m not a pushover politician” _ Wike talked about making Amaechi governor; accuses wife of misappropriating N4bn NDDC funds

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has claimed that he risked his life and spent all he had to make his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State in 2007.

In an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Friday night, Wike made the revelations accusing Amaechi of deceit, hypocrisy, and questionable integrity.

“I am not a bush man; my background is not like the level Amaechi came from. Amaechi was the Speaker for eight years, he was the governor for eight years, and he doesn’t have a house. Amaechi has a spiritual problem,” Wike said.

The FCT Minister, however, alleged that Amaechi secretly owns property in highbrow areas of Abuja and Port Harcourt despite presenting himself as financially modest.

“I will tell you his house in Guzape, where I live. You can’t be a poor man and have all these properties; his house is in GRA,” he stated.

Wike questioned Amaechi’s moral standing and leadership potential, especially in the light of his rumoured presidential ambition.

“It’s unfortunate. I watch him, how can a man at that level do that? I feel so bad discussing a man’s wife. Is this the character that wants to be Nigeria’s president?”

Wike detailed a political episode during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration when Amaechi’s governorship bid faced major hurdles. He said Amaechi later attempted to edge him out politically, falsely believing he was doing him (Wike) a favour.

“Amaechi thought he was doing me a favour by pushing me out; he couldn’t have made it without me. I was a DG — I’m not a pushover politician.”

Recounting the personal toll the political battle took on him, Wike shared how he put his life at risk for Amaechi’s political future.

“We moved Amaechi to Ghana, that was the day I started wearing ‘Babanriga’. In the name of God, I put my life to risk. At a point, I called my wife and said, ‘Take my children away; I don’t know what will happen. If I don’t survive, that’s how God wants it.’

“Amaechi came to the airport to pick me up from Ghana. He wore a face cap; he was in hot tears,” Wike said.

The FCT Minister claimed that he invested everything he had to ensure Amaechi emerge as governor and called on prominent individuals to corroborate his story.

“Marcus Nneji will tell you that I spent everything I have in my life to see that we succeeded and Amaechi became governor. Ask Bello Adoke, Magnus Abbey, ask Idozu, Amaechi is a very big liar.”

Wike concluded by saying that contrary to Amaechi’s attempts to marginalise him in the scheme of things, he never asked for financial control but only requested to be made Chief of Staff in Rivers State Government House.

“I told Amaechi I want to be Chief of Staff; I didn’t want finance,” Wike stated.

Wike, has also accused Amaechi’s wife of misappropriating N4 billion meant for the training of Niger Delta women.

Responding pointedly, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s assertion, saying, “I think it’s very unfortunate. You should be respected because of the integrity you have and the honour you have, not because you are 200 years old. He cannot claim to be older than me just because he was governor before me.”

The FCT minister went further to trace his political history, claiming he was already an elected local government chairman before ever meeting Amaechi.

“I want to say, with due respect, that I never knew Rotimi from Adams. In 1998, I contested for one of Nigeria’s most respected local governments, Obiakpor Local Government, and I won,” Wike stated.

He recounted how mutual associates allegedly aided Amaechi’s political career after an initial defeat.

Wike turned his attention to Amaechi’s wife, accusing her of falsely claiming the title of “industrialist” and linking her alleged financial activities to the yet-to-be-published forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“When did your wife become an industrialist? Which company does she own?” Wike asked.

“Let’s play politics; leave our wives out of this. I regret to bring her up here. She’s not an industrialist; selling does not make you an industrialist.”

Wike criticised Amaechi for allegedly using his wife’s business status for political grandstanding and questioned his rival’s regard for his spouse.

“So unfortunate that a former governor will say that because my wife is a trader, therefore, she is an industrialist. If you love your wife, why would you bring her up in this kind of discussion?

I respect my wife; that’s why it’s very difficult for me to talk about women. How can a man who wants to become a governor talk about his wife like that? I don’t think Amaechi loves his wife. If he loves his wife, he would not say that kind of thing about her.”

Wike, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to release the long-awaited NDDC forensic audit report, alleging that it contains details of how Amaechi’s wife embezzled billions of naira.

“I ask Mr President to release the forensic audit of the NDDC, to make Amaechi’s wife explain how she spent N4 billion naira on training Niger Delta women,” he said.

“It was [former Attorney-General] Malami that killed that report. That’s how Amaechi’s wife became an industrialist — four billion naira every month to train Niger Delta women,” Wike revealed.