FCT minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed the ability of Rotimi Amaechi and David Mark to secure electoral victories for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers and Benue states during the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with journalists, Wike pointed to previous electoral cycles, arguing that Amaechi’s political stature did not translate into success for the All Progressives Congress in Rivers, even when he held influential national roles.
He cited the 2015 and 2019 elections, noting that despite Amaechi serving as director-general of the presidential campaign of former President Muhammadu Buhari and enjoying federal backing, the APC struggled to gain ground in the state.
The former Rivers governor maintained that he prevailed in those contests despite what he described as the deployment of “federal might,” stressing that Rivers voters have consistently resisted such influence.
“Are we saying today, if an election is conducted in Rivers State today, that Rotimi Amaechi will deliver Rivers State to ADC?” Wike asked.
“Remember, he was a governor. When I came to run as governor, he was in the APC. Who defeated him? And he was the DG of the campaign then.
“Remember, in 2019, when I was running for my second term, he was the minister of transportation and was the DG of Buhari’s campaign.
“Of all the federal might that came, I won. The late President Buhari never got 25 percent. In 2015, he didn’t get it. In 2019, he didn’t get it. How do you now say that he will win?”
Wike also advised opposition parties to prioritise grassroots organisation over reliance on prominent figures, insisting that electoral outcomes ultimately depend on voters.
“So, we should stop saying there’s one party. So many parties have been registered. Why do you say that this party is not opposition? All other parties are there. You should encourage them to do what the opposition is supposed to do,” he said.
“I will be very glad that they are on the ballot. Let them contest the election. Let the stories be over. The only thing you hear next time is, ‘Oh, the election was rigged.’ That’s the only thing you hear. That’s the only language they will come and tell you.”
On Benue, the minister questioned the ADC’s prospects, arguing that its national chairman, David Mark, lacks the political influence to deliver his home state.
“Take, for example, Benue, where the former Senate president, their so-called chairman of the party, his daughter won under APC, and he was in PDP,” he said.
“Will you now say former Senate President David Mark will deliver Benue to ADC in 2027?“
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