He’s Hungry For Power!” — Amaechi, Wike Clash Over Hunger In NigeriaFormer Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has responded to recent remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, stating that he has no intention of engaging in verbal battles with “children.”
Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV on Tuesday, Amaechi reacted to Wike’s criticism of his recent comments on the economic hardship in Nigeria. Wike had earlier accused him of politicizing the issue of hunger.
“God, Peter Odili, the judiciary, and the people of Rivers State made me governor. Ask him who made him governor. I say this because I won’t argue with children,” Amaechi remarked pointedly.
The heated exchange was sparked by Amaechi’s speech during his 60th birthday celebration, where he openly criticized the prevailing economic situation and the direction of the country.
“Nigeria’s elite are not the problem. The real issue lies with the followership. We have no capitalists because there’s no meaningful production happening. We’re all hungry—even I’m hungry. If the opposition is serious about change, we can remove the man in power,” Amaechi declared.
In response, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s remarks during a media briefing on Monday, labeling them as politically driven. He accused the former transportation minister of using hunger as a pretext to regain relevance.
“He never spoke of hunger while he was in power. Now that he’s out, he suddenly remembers Nigerians are suffering. He’s not concerned about hunger—he’s hungry for power.”
Wike went on to accuse Amaechi of insulting Nigerians by downplaying their struggles.
Amaechi, however, rejected Wike’s assertions, stating that his rise to the governorship was not orchestrated by Wike, but rather through divine providence, legal victory, and public support.
He also addressed his past decision to appoint Wike as Chief of Staff instead of Commissioner for Finance, saying he wanted closer oversight of Wike’s activities.
“Mohammed Adoke came from Abuja to Port Harcourt to lobby me to make Wike Commissioner for Finance. I refused. I needed him as Chief of Staff so I could monitor him. I didn’t offer him that role. I’m only revealing this because I’m not interested in exchanging words with children,” Amaechi said.
He continued, “I was his boss—whether he admits it or not. I hired him. I could have said no. Now he acts like he made himself everything: chief of staff, governor, minister, even local government chairman.”
Closing his remarks, Amaechi took a veiled swipe at Wike’s style of politics, saying, “There’s no more respect for family names. People just do and say anything these days.”
