Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has berated the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in his bid to become the Vice President.

While criticising the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, Wike stated that anyone who once shut down courts “is fundamentally unfit” to serve as Nigeria’s number two citizen.

He declared that he would be the first politician to go down should former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, due to the intensity of his open support for the President.

Wike accused the NBA of abandoning its historic role as an impartial defender of justice and constitutionalism for partisan politics.

“NBA has now taken sides politically. They are now a political party,” Wike declared.

He maintained that the association ought to remain an independent institution dedicated to upholding the rule of law, rather than serving as an arena for political contests or offering platforms that amount to partisan endorsements.

Wike, however, urged Nigerians to critically examine the past actions of political figures claiming to champion democracy and the rule of law before trusting them with high office.

“Amaechi, who wants to be Vice President today, once shut down the courts in Rivers and caused a pregnant woman to give birth in prison,” Wike said.

The FCT minister argued that such precedents should automatically disqualify political aspirants from occupying sensitive executive positions, emphasising that a track record of undermining the judiciary cannot be brushed aside.

Wike said his commitment to Tinubu’s re-election has made him a marked target of the opposition, insisting he has no regrets over his political stance.

“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I know they will come for my head,” he said.

The minister said he was under no illusions about the risks of his position but maintained that he would not shy away from confronting the President’s opponents. He said he remained focused solely on Tinubu’s victory regardless of the personal political cost.

“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the President’s re-election. When I am eating, I think about the President’s reelection. Everything I am doing now is about the President’s reelection,” he stated.

He accused the governors of Kwara and Imo states, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Hope Uzodimma, respectively, working against him ahead of the 2027 general elections, while reaffirming his support for Tinubu.