Amaechi can’t fight corruption he’s too tainted -Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi as unfit to lead an anti-corruption fight, describing him as “too corrupt to fight corruption.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday night, Wike urged Nigerians to disregard Amaechi’s 2027 presidential ambition and his vow to tackle graft if elected, insisting such claims lack credibility.
Wike accused Amaechi of several corrupt practices during his tenure as governor of Rivers State. He alleged that Amaechi sold the state-owned Gas Turbine to Sahara Energy for $308 million without accounting for the proceeds. Other alleged misdeeds include:
- Misappropriation of $30 million meant for the unbuilt Karibi Whyte Hospital.
- Spending N74 billion on a monorail project that produced only 1.7 km of track.
- Concealing a Rivers-owned aircraft in Germany for 12 years until Wike traced and recovered it.
- Selling a Dash-8 jet to former Cross River governor Liyel Imoke for $5 million, with the funds unaccounted for.
Wike further declared Amaechi’s presidential ambition “dead on arrival,” adding that the ex-minister would not even secure the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket.
“He knows he won’t get the ticket. He claimed he understands the president’s weaknesses and can defeat him, but he said the same thing in 2022 and was defeated mercilessly in the primaries,” Wike said. “Nigerians know better than to give him a ticket.”
Amaechi governed Rivers State between May 2007 and May 2015 before handing over to Wike, who served as governor for two terms.
