Former Governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has fired back at current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, over claims that Amaechi is not his political boss.
During a recent media chat in Abuja, Wike dismissed the notion of political hierarchy, stating that Amaechi holds no influence over him. He argued that Amaechi, despite serving as the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign, failed to deliver Rivers State to President Muhammadu Buhari during both the 2015 and 2019 general elections.
Wike’s camp, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, also criticized veteran journalist Reuben Abati for describing Wike as rude and reaffirming that Amaechi was his political superior.
Olayinka challenged the narrative in a Facebook post, questioning how Amaechi could be considered Wike’s boss politically. He recalled that Wike stayed behind in Rivers State in 2007 to help reclaim Amaechi’s mandate when the latter fled to Ghana.
However, during a Thursday appearance on Arise News, Amaechi gave a calm but firm response when asked about his relationship with Wike. He said:
> “Why go into personal life? I’ve told you this several times — subordinates. I was once his boss, whether he likes it or not. I hired him; I could have said no.”
Amaechi’s remarks have reignited the long-standing political rivalry between the two Rivers-born politicians, both of whom have played pivotal roles in shaping the political landscape of the state and Nigeria at large.