Anxiety In Amaechi’s Camp Over Tinubu’s Romance With Wike

The romance between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is reportedly unsettling the camp of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Despite being named as the special adviser on infrastructure in the Presidential Campaign Council of Tinubu, Amaechi, who came second during the presidential primaries of the APC in June, has largely been sidelined from the ruling party’s campaign.

The former governor of Rivers State, who was the campaign DG of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and 2019, has not been participating in the campaign exercise of the APC.

Amaechi, who has been at loggerheads with Wike since 2013, is reportedly unhappy with Tinubu’s romance with his political rival.

A source close to him said: “It is an understatement to say he (Amaechi) is not happy. When Oshiomhole went to Port Harcourt, he asked the people to only support Tinubu and that for the other positions, they should support Wike. A similar thing was re-echoed when the Ebonyi governor visited the state.”

He, however, dismissed the report that Amaechi was plotting to leave the ruling party, adding that the former Minister has not met with the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

“It is not true that he has met Atiku. He is not leaving APC, the party he co-founded,” the source said.

Also speaking on the alleged alliance between Tinubu and Wike, a chieftain of the APC in the state, Steve Nwankwo said such an alliance will not in any way diminish the influence of Amaechi in the party.

According to him, the former Rivers State Governor had laboured to build the party structures in the state, stressing that Amaechi and his supporters were not afraid of whatever alliance Governor Wike has with the APC presidential candidate.