The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday declared that it would be difficult for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to win the 2027 election with a running mate like Rotimi Amaechi.
Wike said if Atiku is relying on Amaechi to get votes then his victory is dead on arrival.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja, the Minister said, “Amaechi as the running mate to Atiku, I have come to know that it will be difficult for Atiku to be president, in all the calculations if you are choosing a vice presidential candidate, a running mate, I’m sure that the only factor that made him to choose Amaechi may be financial.
“If it’s in terms of bringing votes to support Atiku, he is dead on arrival.”
Wike recalled how the late former President Muhammadu Buhari could not pull 25 percent votes with Amaechi as his campaign Director General.
He said: “I was a Minister of State while he was governor and I defeated him very well, he has never won an election since after 2011 when I was the DG of the campaign.
“He was the DG of Buhari in 2015 and Buhari did not get 25 percent, he was the DG in 2019 when he was a minister and Buhari did not get 25 percent.”
The Minister further dismissed claims that Amaechi is an asset to the people of Rivers State and Niger Delta.
He added: “Is he an asset to Rivers State and South South? You must be a former governor that still has followers, you must say when you were a minister what did you bring to the people of your state? As a minister what did your government do to impact the lives of Rivers people, so it’s not about being former this or that.
“In the South South, which state will he have impact on and that’s why we say that the way we are, just one month ago, this was the same man who said the ADC primary was married by irregularities and corruption, the same man now is benefitting from the corruption and irregularities of the same system.”
2027: Will be difficult for Atiku to win with Amaechi as VP – Wike