After years of political rivalry and shifting alliances, Rivers State is once again witnessing the return of two of its biggest political gladiators, Nyesom Wike and Rotimi Amaechi, to the trenches, setting the stage for another fierce battle for influence and control ahead of the 2027 election, writes ADEMU IDAKWO.
The political rivalry between former Rivers State governors Nyesom Wike and Rotimi Amaechi has entered another potentially decisive phase as the 2027 general elections draw nearer, with both men now on opposite sides of an emerging presidential contest.
Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. At the same time, Amaechi, his former political ally and one-time boss, is Atiku Abubakar’s running mate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket.
Their rivalry, which dates back more than a decade, has survived changes of political parties, elections, court battles, political realignments and a succession crisis that shook the Rivers State government.
But the latest chapter has taken the contest to a new level.
On 5 September 2026, while Amaechi was in his hometown of Ubima for his mother’s burial, Dame Ezinne Mary Orduah Amaechi, Wike attended a civic reception in Omagwa, also within the Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Rather than allowing the occasion to pass without a political message, Wike used his speech to launch one of his most direct attacks yet on his former political ally.
“On election day, before 11 am, Amaechi will tell his people to boycott the election, knowing there’s no way he’ll defeat us,” Wike said.
“If he (Amaechi) wins his village, Ubima, then he has won the election. That’s if he wins his own polling unit,” he added.
Wike also dismissed the possibility of the former governor relying on security influence, recalling the political atmosphere surrounding previous elections.
“No more battalions of soldiers to be with him, no more battalions of police to be with him; it’s now that we, the battalion of people, will come out,” he said.
The remarks prompted an immediate response from the Rivers State chapter of the ADC, which accused the FCT minister of attempting to intimidate the opposition ahead of the election.
The state ADC chairman, Chukwudi Dimkpa, said elections were not won by political boasts or by announcing results before voting.
“Elections are not won by boasts, intimidation or by political strongmen announcing results in advance. Rivers people will vote, the votes will be counted, and INEC, not Wike, will declare the winner,” Dimkpa said.
He described Wike’s conduct at Omagwa as “political rascality taken too far”, alleging that the reception had been held along the same route as Amaechi’s mother’s funeral and had caused unnecessary traffic.
Dimkpa said the party deliberately refrained from responding to the provocation on the day of the burial because its attention was focused on the deceased.
“We refused to dignify the provocation with a response that day because we were focused on giving Mama, Dame Ezinne Amaechi, a fitting burial,” he said.
The ADC chairman added, “Wike should understand that Rivers State belongs to all of us. Nobody owns the people, nobody owns their votes, and certainly nobody can declare an election result by 12 noon.”
From Allies To Rivals
