Wike reveals mistake that cost Amaechi ADC ticket

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has claimed that former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, made a costly political miscalculation by contesting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary, insisting that the outcome was predetermined in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike said he saw Amaechi’s defeat coming from the moment he joined the race, arguing that the structure and leadership of the ADC made it impossible for any other aspirant to secure a transparent contest.

The FCT minister, who served as Chief of Staff during Amaechi’s tenure as governor of Rivers State, said he would have advised his former political ally to stay away from the contest had he sought his opinion.

“Amaechi is my brother. I served as Chief of Staff in his government. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen. If he had called me, I would have said, ‘Don’t go there.’ It was very clear he would not get transparency or due process,” Wike said.

In a stinging assessment of the opposition party’s primary process, Wike alleged that the entire arrangement was designed to produce Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.

According to him, the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as the party’s chairman was enough indication that the process would not be open and competitive.

“When I saw the setup in ADC and saw David Mark there, I laughed. When you have worked with these people, you know who is who and what they are capable of doing. That setup was Atiku’s setup 100 per cent,” he said.

Wike argued that experienced politicians should have recognised what he described as warning signs from the outset.

“You cannot set a trap for me. We know ourselves as politicians. Who told you that kind of structure would give you transparency? Who told you that kind of structure would give you free and fair elections?” he asked.

The minister suggested that Amaechi allowed growing public dissatisfaction with the government to cloud his political judgement.

“I think my brother made a mistake. He was too much in a hurry. He was carried away by people shouting that this government is not doing well. They used that to lure people in and give themselves credibility,” he said.

Wike also revisited the 2022 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, accusing David Mark of failing to provide a level playing field during the contest that eventually produced Atiku as the party’s candidate.

His remarks come amid continuing fallout from the ADC presidential primary, which has exposed fresh cracks within the opposition coalition.

Amaechi had rejected the outcome of the exercise, describing the results as “concocted” and alleging that many party members were prevented from voting.