Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as a politician with no meaningful electoral value in Rivers State or the South-South region.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja, Wike argued that Amaechi has consistently failed to deliver significant votes in presidential elections despite serving as a two-term governor of Rivers State, Director-General of presidential campaigns, and a senior minister in the federal government. He questioned the basis for Amaechi’s political relevance ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike further claimed that if Amaechi is being considered for a major national political role, such as a vice-presidential candidate, it could not be because of his electoral strength. According to the FCT minister, Amaechi’s record in previous elections does not demonstrate the capacity to influence voting outcomes in Rivers State.

The minister also insisted that Rivers State remains firmly under his political influence, maintaining that opposition parties would struggle to make electoral gains in the state. He argued that the support his political structure enjoys is based on governance and development projects delivered to the people.

Wike’s remarks add another chapter to the long-running political rivalry between the two former Rivers governors, as political alignments continue to take shape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to base his 2027 re-election campaign on the performance of his administration rather than political propaganda. He argued that Nigerians would judge the president by his record in office, not by campaign rhetoric.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Momodu said there was no personal hostility towards Tinubu, insisting that what voters want to see are tangible achievements that have improved their lives. He maintained that if the administration has delivered on its promises, presenting a credible scorecard should be enough to convince Nigerians to support another term.

Momodu also advised members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to focus on highlighting the government’s accomplishments instead of engaging in political attacks against opponents. According to him, the electorate is more interested in governance outcomes than partisan exchanges.

The veteran journalist questioned the APC’s continued practice of blaming previous administrations for the country’s challenges after spending more than three years in office. He argued that Nigerians now expect solutions and measurable progress rather than explanations about inherited problems.

His comments come as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, with parties and prospective candidates positioning themselves for what is expected to be another highly contested presidential race.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the 2027 presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing non-compliance with its candidate nomination procedures.

The electoral commission maintained that only a legally recognised party leadership with authorised access to INEC’s electronic candidate nomination portal can validly submit candidates for elections. Since the Turaki-led group is not recognised by the commission, its manual submission of Jonathan’s nomination was not accepted.

Despite the rejection, the Turaki faction insisted it had complied with the Electoral Act by manually submitting Jonathan’s name along with those of its governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates. The group also argued that it resorted to manual submission after INEC allegedly denied it access to the nomination portal and disclosed that it has appealed a recent court ruling relating to the PDP leadership dispute.

Meanwhile, the officially recognised PDP leadership dismissed the submission as “illegal and worthless,” stressing that only candidates nominated by the party’s recognised national leadership can be accepted by INEC. The leadership dispute within the opposition party continues to generate uncertainty ahead of preparations for the 2027 general election.

The development represents another twist in the PDP’s internal crisis, with the final outcome expected to depend on pending court decisions and INEC’s recognition of the party’s legitimate leadership.