FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has criticised former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi over his claim that President Bola Tinubu’s policies contributed to the death of his mother.
Wike said Amaechi should not have brought his late mother into political arguments, questioning his claim that rising drug prices under the Tinubu administration made it difficult for him to afford her medication.
The minister spoke on Saturday while addressing members of the Uzugbani Ekpeye National Executive Council at Ekpeye House in Ahoada, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, had made the claim during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
“Tinubu’s policies killed my mother. Before Tinubu came, my mother was healthy. After 2023, it was difficult for me to buy drugs for my mother,” Amaechi said.
The former governor was criticising the economic impact of Tinubu’s reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the rising cost of living.
Responding, Wike questioned how Amaechi, who spent 24 years in senior political positions, could say he was unable to afford medication for his mother.
Wike recalled that Amaechi served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007, governor from 2007 to 2015 and Minister of Transportation from 2015 to 2023.
“This one, a speaker for eight years, from 1999 to 2007. This one, a governor for eight years, from 2007 to 2015. This one, a minister for eight years, from 2015 to 2023.
“And your mother was sick, and you are telling the whole world that because of the policy of Tinubu, you couldn’t buy drugs for your mother, and so your mother died,” Wike said.
The FCT minister also questioned why Amaechi’s associates could not have assisted with his mother’s medical expenses if the cost of treatment had become difficult to meet.
Wike further took exception to comments attributed to Amaechi about his mother being happy if the ADC won the 2027 election.
“How can you bring a loved one who’s gone to bring in politics?” Wike asked.
He urged people to allow the deceased to rest while praying that Amaechi’s mother would find peace.
Amaechi’s mother, Dame Mary Orduah Amaechi, died on July 16, 2026, aged 89. She was buried in September at Ubima, Rivers State, at a funeral attended by prominent political figures, including ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
The latest exchange is part of the long-running political rivalry between Wike and Amaechi, who were once allies before becoming major political opponents in Rivers State.
Wike had also criticised Amaechi earlier in the week, challenging him to account for his record after 24 years in senior political positions.
Amaechi, for his part, has continued to criticise Tinubu’s economic policies. During the same television interview, he said he would withdraw from the ADC ticket and campaign for Tinubu if petrol sold for ₦600 per litre.
With the 2027 election drawing closer, the renewed exchanges between the two Rivers politicians are adding another layer to an already intense political contest over Tinubu’s record, the economy and the direction of opposition politics.
