Wike, Abe Challenge Amaechi Over Atiku, Back South For Presidency

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and former senator Magnus Abe have challenged former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to reconsider his reported alignment with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that the South should retain the presidency until 2031.

They spoke on Tuesday in Port Harcourt at the unveiling of candidates of the Rivers State Rainbow Coalition, where Wike, the coalition’s leader, also rallied political stakeholders behind President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

Abe said Amaechi’s reported decision to support Atiku contradicted his previous position that presidential power should rotate between the North and South.

“On behalf of all of us here gathered in Rivers State, we want to call on Amaechi to immediately respect his own position and resign as the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar, because it is the turn of the South, and Rivers State will stand by the agreement between the North and the South,” he said.

Abe also urged Atiku to respect the principle of rotation, while declaring his support for Tinubu and the Rainbow Coalition.

Wike, meanwhile, called on PDP members across the country to support Tinubu regardless of their party affiliations.

“Every PDP member in Rivers State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every PDP member in Kwara State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Every PDP member in Benue State, you will support Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

He extended the appeal to PDP members in Ondo, Ogun and other states, arguing that political differences should not prevent them from backing Tinubu’s second-term bid.

Wike also questioned Atiku’s political consistency and criticised Amaechi’s record as governor of Rivers State between 2007 and 2015.

He revisited promises made during Amaechi’s administration on malaria prevention and other development programmes and raised allegations over the management of funds during the period.

Wike referred to a judicial panel of inquiry and subsequent court proceedings in making the claims. The allegations were not independently established at the event.

He said the Rainbow Coalition was committed to uniting politicians from different parties behind Tinubu and candidates endorsed by the alliance in Rivers State.

Wike urged political stakeholders to avoid actions capable of reigniting tension in the state and called for peaceful political engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.

The event was attended by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Abe and other political leaders and candidates under the coalition.