‘Amaechi Hungry For Power, Not Food’, Wike Slams Ex-Minister

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, regarding his recent remark about hunger in Nigeria, asserting that Amaechi’s thirst was for power and not food.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Amaechi, who was a two-term governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 before being appointed Minister of Transportation by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had commented on the state of the economy during an event marking his 60th birthday anniversary last week.

“We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power.

“In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing,” Amaechi said.

But, reacting to the statement during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike said, “We have no time to listen to nonsense in Nigeria. I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would choose his 60th birthday to lie to Nigerians about being hungry.

“He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, Governor from 2007 to 2015, and Minister from 2015 to 2023. He never spoke about hunger during those years.

“Now they are regrouping. They are only hungry for power. This shows his failure. How can you trivialise the issue of hunger? He joined Atiku and claimed hunger. It is clear he cannot stay out of power. From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi stood before Nigerians and claimed hunger. He was a former governor who couldn’t secure even 25% for Buhari during elections, despite being the campaign DG.

“Thank God we did not support the PDP; otherwise, he would have taken the glory. He is now in a coalition. I don’t like to talk much. Let them form their team and start from home in Rivers.

“Let’s see how he plans to remove the president. Is it a military coup? The term ‘removal’ is synonymous with dictatorship or military coup. Nigerians remember what happened in 2015, and now he claims Nigerians are hungry.

“I am not a liability; I am an asset. You may dislike me, but I am an asset in ensuring President Tinubu wins a second term.”