Wike Fires Back: FCT Minister Slams Amaechi Over Claims Linking Mother's Demise to Tinubu's Economic Policies

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing verbal assault on his predecessor and former ally, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of utilizing cheap emotional blackmail to regain political relevance. The outburst follows unconfirmed accounts indicating that Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation, made statements linking the passing of his mother to the harsh economic climate induced by President Bola Tinubu's administration.

Speaking at a high-level briefing in Abuja, Wike expressed deep disappointment that a politician of Amaechi's stature would allegedly stoop to politicizing family grief. Wike argued that death is an inevitable aspect of the human condition and that attempting to blame the presidency for such a loss is not only logically flawed but morally bankrupt. He urged opposition figures to stick to policy-based critiques rather than exploiting personal tragedies.

This latest exchange marks a dramatic escalation in the decades-long rivalry between the two political titans of Rivers State. Once close allies under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the early 2000s, their relationship fractured irreparably ahead of the 2015 general elections. Today, Wike serves in the cabinet of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration under Tinubu, while Amaechi, despite his history with the APC, has increasingly distanced himself from the party's current national leadership.