By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has warned that it will be difficult for former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, running mate to the African Democratic Congress ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to campaign in Rivers State if he continues to attack President Bola Tinubu and his supporters.
Wike spoke on Friday in Abuja after a meeting with the chairmen of the six area councils of the FCT. He was reacting to comments credited to Amaechi, who allegedly said only thieves and mad people would vote for Tinubu.
“If he continues this line, it will be difficult for him to campaign in Rivers. We will not take that. If security agencies and INEC can fold their hands, that’s their business, but we will not allow it,” Wike said.
Wike said the remarks were aired on television, and that they went further to include Edo people.
“All of us watched on television yesterday where he said it’s only thieves that can vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, only mad people can vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that if Edo people vote for him, it means Edo people are mad. This is supposedly a vice presidential candidate of a political party seeking to take over power,” he said.
The minister said agencies such as the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC should sanction politicians who engage in personality attacks instead of issue-based campaigns.
“You see one problem we have in this country is that agencies or commissions should be able to take their functions seriously. Many Nigerians have called INEC to sanction political parties, candidates, or some politicians who, in their campaigns, incite the public or raise matters that are not issue-based,” he said.
Wike then challenged Amaechi to account for projects executed while he was governor of Rivers State.
“I have challenged him to tell Nigerians where is our $39 million cassava flour mill which you claimed you built? Where is the $10 million you paid to a Cuban company to fumigate Rivers State so there will be no mosquito bite? Where is the N68 billion monorail? Where is the $308 million you sold our gas turbine?
“Amaechi has looted the treasury. Ask him why he was indicted by a Judicial Panel of Inquiry and why he went to court to challenge that indictment and lost at the Supreme Court,” Wike alleged.
