The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has described former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi’s decision to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political miscalculation, insisting that the structure of the opposition coalition was never designed to deliver a fair contest.
Wike said Amaechi’s decision to align with the opposition coalition was a miscalculation, insisting that the structure and internal dynamics of the party would not guarantee fairness or transparency in its processes.
Speaking during a media interaction in Abuja, on Monday, Wike said he was not surprised by the outcome of the ADC presidential primary, which produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate.
“Amaechi is my brother. I served as Chief of Staff in his government. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen. If he had called me, I would have said, ‘Don’t go there.’ It was very clear he would not get transparency or due process,” he said.
Wike further described the ADC structure as predictable, saying the internal arrangements of the party favoured certain interests.
“When I saw the setup in ADC and saw David Mark there, I laughed. When you have worked with these people, you know who is who and what they are capable of doing. That set-up was Atiku’s set-up 100 per cent,” he said.
He insisted that the process was never going to produce a fair outcome, adding that the opposition coalition had already been shaped by familiar political actors.
“You cannot set a trap for me. We know ourselves as politicians. Who told you that kind of structure would give you transparency? Who told you that kind of structure would give you free and fair elections?” Wike said.
He added that Amaechi was carried away by political momentum and criticism of the current administration, which influenced his decision to join the ADC.
“I think my brother made a mistake. He was too much in a hurry. He was carried away by people shouting that this government is not doing well. They used that to lure people in and give themselves credibility,” he added.