Amaechi’s 2027 Presidential dream already in the grave – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the presidential ambition of his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, describing it as “dead on arrival.”

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Wike argued that Amaechi lacked the moral standing to convince Nigerians he could fight corruption or entrench good governance, citing his record as former governor of Rivers State.

“Amaechi knows he won’t get the ticket,” Wike said.

“He claimed he understands President Tinubu’s weaknesses, but he also knew them in 2022 when Tinubu defeated him soundly at the APC primary. Nigerians are not deceived; the last person they will entrust with a presidential ticket is Amaechi,” he added.

Amaechi, who served as Minister of Transportation under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, came second in the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary behind Tinubu.

In 2025, he resigned from the APC and defected to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he is seeking the party’s nomination for the 2027 general election.

Wike, however, insisted that Amaechi’s new platform offered him no real advantage, predicting that the ADC would not even hand him its ticket.

Both men share a long political history in Rivers State, where Amaechi served as governor from 2007 to 2015, before Wike succeeded him. Their rivalry has since spilled onto the national stage, with Wike now serving in Tinubu’s cabinet.

According to Wike, Nigerians have already made up their minds about Amaechi’s credibility, and his ambition stands little chance of survival in the run-up to 2027.