2027: Wike Threatens to Block Amaechi’s Campaign in Rivers Over Tinubu Insults

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to make it difficult for former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to campaign in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections if he continues making disparaging remarks about President Bola Tinubu and his supporters.

Wike issued the warning on Friday, October 9, 2026, while speaking with journalists in Abuja after a meeting with chairmen of the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory.

He was reacting to comments attributed to Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, who reportedly described people who intend to vote for Tinubu in 2027 as thieves and mad people.

“If he continues along this line, it will be difficult for him to campaign in Rivers. We will make it difficult for him,” Wike said.

The FCT minister argued that political campaigns should focus on candidates’ policies and plans for Nigerians rather than personal attacks and insults directed at political opponents or their supporters.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take action against politicians whose statements could inflame public sentiments, urging the electoral body to enforce the rules governing political campaigns.

Wike questioned why a politician seeking national office would use language he considered insulting to voters, insisting that candidates should be held accountable for their public statements.

He also challenged Amaechi to account for projects and expenditures during his tenure as governor of Rivers State between 2007 and 2015.

Among the projects he mentioned were a cassava flour mill, a mosquito-control contract, the Rivers State monorail and the sale of a gas turbine. Wike questioned the amounts reportedly spent on the projects and alleged that public funds had been mismanaged.

These claims were allegations made by Wike and were not independently established by his remarks.

Amaechi, who previously served as Nigeria’s minister of transportation, is now aligned with the ADC as the party prepares for the 2027 presidential election.

The dispute highlights growing political tensions ahead of the election, with prominent figures exchanging accusations over governance, public spending and campaign rhetoric.

Wike maintained that politicians should concentrate on presenting their programmes to voters rather than resorting to personal attacks, while warning that Amaechi could encounter resistance if he continued along the same path.