How Amaechi antagonised my aspiration – Wike opens up

Governor Nyesom Wike has said he will remain eternally grateful to God because when he first contested for the office of governor in 2015, his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi was the incumbent, and was antagonistic to his political aspiration.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the governor while mocking his predecessor ‘for resorting to divisive and disgusting politicking’ during the electioneering period, said the “resounding” victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further diminished his (Amaechi) political relevance in Rivers State.

Governor Wike stated these on Tuesday a day after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Simi Fubara as the winner of the 2023 governorship election on Monday night.

Fubara, who was the PDP candidate polled 302,614 votes to defeat is closest rival, Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had 95,274 votes. The Social Demcratic Party (SDP) candidate, Senator Magnus Abe came a distant third with 46,981.

Wike said: “When we came out in 2015, we were not in government. There was a governor (Amaechi) then in 2015. He was the Director General (DG) of (Muhammadu) Buhari campaign.

“In 2019, he was a super Minister and was also DG of Buhari campaign. He never gave him (Buhari) 25 percent. 2015, he never gave him 25 percent.”

“This is 2023, and they cannot get 25 percent vote in the state, we have also defeated him. You were a super governor, we defeated you. You were a super minister, we defeated you, now, you are a super nobody, we defeated you.”

Governor Wike, has however, cautioned PDP members not to be complacent because the opposition which he likened to “enemies” are still prowling around.