Amaechi hungry for power, not food, says Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, a failed politician who is “hungry for power,” not food.

Wike made this statement during a media parley in Abuja on Monday while reacting to Amaechi’s comment during his 60th birthday celebration last week, where he said, “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am.”

Reacting to this, Wike, on Monday, during a media parley in Abuja, said Amaechi chose to tell lies to Nigerians during his 60th birthday celebration by claiming there’s hunger in the country.

According to Wike, Amaechi’s statement reflects political ambition rather than concern for citizens’ welfare.

“Now that they are out of power, they say they are hungry. It’s not hunger for food. It’s hunger for power,” he said.

“We’ve got time to listen to junks in Nigeria. I don’t know why a man (Amaechi) will choose his 60th birthday to tell lies to Nigerians that you’re hungry,” Wike said.

“He was speaker in 1999-2007. He was a governor too from 2007 to 2015. He also became a minister from 2015-2023. He never spoke about hunger.

“Now they are regrouping, They are only hungry for power. It shows failure on his part. How do you trivialise issue of hunger? You joined Atiku and claimed you were hungry. It is just that you cannot stay out of power. Since 1999-2023, Amaechi will stand before Nigerians and claim hunger. He was a former governor. He couldn’t give Buhari common 25% during the election. He was even the DG of the campaign then.

“Thank God we didn’t support PDP. He would have taken the glory. He’s in a coalition, I don’t like talking talking. Let them form as a team, let him start from home (Rivers).

“Let’s see how he can remove the president. Is it a military coup? The term removal is synonymous with dictatorship or military coup. You saw what happened and what Nigerians passed through in 2015, and you’re claiming now that Nigerians are hungry.

“I’m not a liability, I’m an asset. You may not like me. I’m an asset to ensuring that President Tinubu wins second term.”

Amaechi has been in Nigeria’s political space for over two decades. His hunger complaint comes less than a three-year hiatus from active politics.

Amaechi contested against President Bola Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election of 2022. He came second with 316 votes while Tinubu won the poll with 1,271 votes.