Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over his participation in the recent protest calling for electronic transmission of election results.
Amaechi had attended the protest with his son, a medical doctor, claiming he was there to provide medical assistance to any injured demonstrators.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Distinguished Personality Lecture at the University of Abuja’s Faculty of Social Sciences, Wike dismissed the gesture as a staged performance.
“He said he came with his son, who is a medical doctor, to treat anyone who might be injured. But where was the ambulance? Where was the medical equipment? You cannot treat people with empty hands,” Wike remarked, accusing Amaechi of trying to manipulate public emotions rather than offering genuine leadership.
The minister described the sudden advocacy for electoral transparency by Amaechi and other opposition figures as opportunistic. “When they are out of office, they suddenly become the voice of the people,” he said, adding that the agitation was “transactional” and aimed at securing rules that favour their return to power rather than strengthening democracy.
Wike urged students to remain vigilant against political manipulation, stressing that the true dividends of democracy lie in building infrastructure and resilient institutions, not in protest slogans.
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