On Friday, Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), said that Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and current vice presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), might have trouble campaigning in Rivers State.
In response to Amaechi’s comment that only crooks would vote for Bola Tinubu in 2027, Wike warned that the people of Rivers “will not take it” if the former governor persisted in making such comments.
These comments were delivered by Wike in Abuja following a meeting with the heads of the six FCT area councils.
It will be challenging for him to campaign in Rivers if he maintains this stance. That won’t fly with us. “We will not allow security agencies and INEC to fold their hands,” Wike declared.
The minister criticised Amaechi’s remarks, saying they were unbecoming of a candidate for national office, and he demanded that the INEC and security services deal with what he deemed as incendiary speech.
Campaigns, according to Wike, should be about issues, not about attacks on people’s character.
If the state’s security forces aren’t up to the task, experts say the next elections in Rivers State might be violent.