Wike: Amaechi chose to insult Nigerians on his 60th birthday

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said the recent hunger comment by former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, was an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians.

At an event organised to mark his 60th birthday anniversary last Friday, Amaechi had said he was hungry and he won’t mind joining the coalition led by opposition arrowhead Atiku Abubakar to trounce President Bola Tinubu at the 2027 polls.

But responding during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike said that Amaechi is hungry for power, saying that the former minister can’t claim that he is hungry for food.

Wike added that when Amaechi was borrowing a governor and was borrowing money he did not speak of hunger.

He said, “I don’t know why a man would choose his 60th birthday to tell lies. It’s unfortunate. Of all times, on your 60th birthday when people are celebrating you?

“He was (Rivers State) Speaker from 1999 to 2007. He was the most pampered speaker. He became a governor from 2007 to 2015. Eight years as Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, and eight years as governor, he never talked about hunger.

“He became a minister from 2015 to 2023, eight years as a super minister of transport. When he was borrowing money (for projects), he didn’t talk about hunger.

“Two years after office, he says: ‘I’m in coalition because I’m hungry’. He is only hungry for power and that shows failure on his part.

“How do you insult Nigerians? How do you trivialise the issue of hunger or poverty? He joined Atiku, and (ex-Kaduna governor Nasir) el-Rufai, all because he is hungry, has he not insulted Nigerians? Just that he can’t stay out of power,” he added.