The battle over Rotimi Amaechi’s political clout just got personal. Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesman for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign of Atiku Abubakar, has fired back at Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, over the minister’s insistence that the former Rivers State governor has faded into irrelevance.
Okonkwo did not mince words, accusing Wike of rewriting history to suit a narrow, state-bound narrative. He argued that the minister’s boasts of repeatedly defeating Amaechi at the polls simply do not hold up under scrutiny, pointing out a glaring detail: Amaechi never ran against Wike in the 2015 Rivers State governorship race, nor did he seek any elective office in the state in 2019.
Speaking on Symfoni TV while defending the Atiku-Amaechi ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Okonkwo painted Wike as a man whose political vision stops at the borders of his home state. “When Wike is talking about elections, can’t you see he restricts himself to Rivers State? Local champion,” Okonkwo said, the jab landing with sharp precision.
He pressed further, challenging the logic behind Wike’s claims. “When he says I defeated him, please let me ask Chibuike Amaechi, did he contest for Rivers State governorship election in 2015? Did he contest for any political office in Rivers State in 2019? How did you defeat him?” Okonkwo argued that Wike’s version of events is a distortion of the facts, insisting that Amaechi has been a consistent winner throughout his career.
Far from being a spent force, Okonkwo said Amaechi remains a vital asset to the ADC and to Atiku’s ambitions. “Chibuike has been very successful all through and as vice presidential candidate he is going to deliver again for his boss, Atiku Abubakar, for ADC and for the Nigerian people,” he added, signaling that the party sees Amaechi as a key player in the coming electoral battle.
The exchange underscores a deepening rift within Rivers State politics, where old rivalries are being replayed on a national stage. Whether Wike’s barbs will stick or Amaechi’s comeback narrative gains traction remains to be seen, but Okonkwo has made it clear that the ADC is not about to let the minister’s words go unchallenged.
