Wike Slams Amaechi Over ‘Hunger’ Comment, Says “He’s Hungry For Power, Not Food”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has lashed out at former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of seeking power under the guise of lamenting national hunger.

Wike’s comments came during a press briefing on Monday in Abuja, in response to remarks made by Amaechi during his 60th birthday celebration, where he said, “We’re all hungry… For us in the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him.”

Wike dismissed the comments as disingenuous and politically charged: “He was Speaker for eight years, Governor for another eight, and Minister for eight. He never spoke about hunger during those years… Now they are regrouping and only hungry for power.”

The FCT Minister, who succeeded Amaechi as Governor of Rivers State and has long been a political rival, challenged Amaechi’s credibility, alleging he failed to deliver for his party in Rivers despite holding top positions like Director-General of Buhari’s campaign.

“From 1999 to 2023, he never left power. Now he’s crying hunger. He’s not hungry for food; he’s hungry for relevance,” Wike said.

He also criticized Amaechi’s choice of words, “How does he plan to ‘remove’ the president? Is that a democratic expression or something else?”

Wike concluded by reasserting his value to the current administration, “I am not a liability. I’m an asset to Tinubu and to Nigeria.”