The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, made a mistake by contesting the 2027 presidential primary on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike said he would have advised Amaechi against joining the race under the ADC if the former governor had sought his counsel.
Wike, who once served as Chief of Staff under Amaechi in Rivers State, said the structure and composition of the ADC leadership made it clear from the outset that the party would not guarantee transparency or due process in its presidential primary.
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According to him, the party’s arrangement was designed to favour former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Amaechi is my brother. I served as Chief of Staff in his government. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen. If he had called me, I would have said, ‘Don’t go there.’ It was very clear he would not get transparency or due process,” Wike said.
He argued that the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as the party’s chairman signalled what he described as a predetermined outcome.
“When I saw the setup in ADC and saw David Mark there, I laughed. When you have worked with these people, you know who is who and what they are capable of doing. That set-up was Atiku’s set-up 100 per cent.
“You cannot set a trap for me. We know ourselves as politicians. Who told you that kind of structure would give you transparency? Who told you that kind of structure would give you free and fair elections?
“I think my brother made a mistake. He was too much in a hurry. He was carried away by people shouting that this government is not doing well. They used that to lure people in and give themselves credibility,” he added.
Wike also accused David Mark of failing to provide a level playing field during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary in 2022, where he and Atiku contested.
His comments followed the ADC presidential primary conducted last Monday ahead of the 2027 general election.
Amaechi had rejected the outcome of the exercise, describing the results as “concocted” and alleging that the process fell short of the transparency and fairness promised by the party.
In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, ahead of the official declaration of the results, the former Rivers governor claimed that many party members were prevented from voting, arguing that such practices undermined the principles upon which the ADC was founded.
Despite his objections, the party declared Atiku Abubakar winner of the primary and its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to the party, Atiku secured 1,846,370 votes to defeat Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes.
Businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen finished third with 177,120 votes.
Meanwhile, Atiku has met separately with Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen as part of efforts to reconcile aggrieved members and foster unity within the party following the presidential primary.
