ADC Won’t Win Rivers, Result Will Be Written

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will not win Rivers State in the 2027 general elections, while taking fresh aim at former governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Wike made the remarks on Saturday while addressing members of Uzugbani Ekpeye in Ahoada, Rivers State.

The FCT minister said Amaechi had repeatedly attributed his electoral defeats to alleged manipulation of results and suggested that the same explanation would continue to be used if the ADC failed to win the state in 2027.

Wike recalled the 2011 governorship election, saying he served as the Director-General of Amaechi’s campaign at the time. He challenged Amaechi to identify an election he had won in Rivers since Wike left his political camp after the 2011 election.

According to Wike, Amaechi had blamed the writing of election results for his failure to secure victories in subsequent elections.

He referred to the 2015 election, when he was governor and Wike emerged as his successor, as well as the 2019 presidential election, when Amaechi served as Director-General of the campaign for former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Wike also referenced the 2023 presidential election, when Amaechi supported Atiku Abubakar, arguing that Amaechi had still failed to secure the outcome he sought despite his political position and access to federal resources.

He said the pattern showed that Amaechi could not rely on claims of written results whenever his preferred candidate failed to win.

“Since I left him in 2011, after 2011, mention one election that he has ever won,” Wike said, according to reports of his remarks.

The minister further told the Ekpeye gathering that the people of the area should carefully examine the records of politicians seeking their support rather than relying on political propaganda.

He described the Ekpeye ethnic nationality as one of the major groups in Rivers State and urged its people to consider their interests when making political decisions.

Wike also highlighted projects and political appointments he said his administration facilitated in the Ekpeye area during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023.

His latest comments come amid an increasingly heated political contest ahead of the 2027 elections, with Amaechi now serving as the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate.

The former Rivers governor has been critical of the Tinubu administration and has continued to challenge the political structure controlled by Wike in Rivers State.

Wike, meanwhile, has maintained his support for President Bola Tinubu and has been mobilising political support for the president ahead of the 2027 election.

The renewed exchange between the two former Rivers governors adds to the growing political rivalry surrounding the state as parties prepare for the next general elections.