Rotimi Amaechi, a two-term governor of Rivers state, has questioned why his successor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, does not give him the respect he deserves.

Amaechi, who was a Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari, issued the query while speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Thursday night, July 3.

Let's walk to Port Harcourt, Amaechi tells Wike

He then challenged the FCT minister to let them take a walk without security from Abuja to Port Harcourt and see is more popular and commands respect among the people.

The former governor's statement reads in part:

“Let the Minister of the FCT come, let’s take a walk from the airport to Port Harcourt, no police, no army, nothing, just the two of us. I don’t know why he doesn’t respect people like us; I am older. I brought him up in politics. Who is he?”

He also stressed that paying attention to Wike would be a distraction to the opposition from talking to the masses about the presidential election in 2027. The former governor stressed that the next general election is between President Bola Tinubu and the people, not a political party.

Amaechi speaks on Wike, Fubara's reconciliation

Speaking on the recent reconciliation between Wike and his successor in Rivers, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the former minister said he should not be questioned on his silence about the long rift between the embattled governor and the FCT minister, adding that some people were impressed that "somebody has surrendered at the end of the day".

He further alleged that everyone can now see the "looting going on in the government.” He then went on to confirm that he had dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that he sent his resignation letter to the party on Tuesday, July 1.

The former minister's comment came on the heels of his taking a leading role in the coalition movement. The group, being fronted by the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, is positioning itself to depose President Bola Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 presidential election.