You’re only ‘hunger for power’ – Wike blast Amaechi

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over his recent remarks about hunger in the country, accusing him of being driven by a desperate desire for power.

Wike, while addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, dismissed Amaechi’s statement made during his 60th birthday celebration as politically motivated and misleading.

Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and a long-standing political rival of Wike, had told guests at his birthday event, “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. In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”

Reacting, Wike condemned the statement, saying, “We don’t have time to listen to such nonsense. I don’t understand why a man like Amaechi would wait until his 60th birthday to tell Nigerians he is hungry. From 1999 to 2023, Amaechi was either Speaker, Governor, or Minister, yet he never spoke of hunger. Now they’re regrouping, hungry not for food, but for power.”

Wike accused Amaechi of trivialising a serious national issue for political gain. “He spent eight years as governor and another eight years as minister, yet now he talks of hunger. He joined Atiku and still claims hunger. The truth is, he cannot stay out of power,” Wike said.

He further noted, “During Buhari’s campaign, he couldn’t even secure 25% in his state despite being the campaign DG. Now, he speaks of removing the president. Is it through a military coup? Nigerians haven’t forgotten 2015, and now he talks of hunger again.”

Wike concluded by saying, “I am not a liability. I am an asset. Whether you like me or not, I am an asset to President Tinubu’s government and his re-election efforts.”