Nyesom Wike has renewed his demand for Rotimi Amaechi to explain what happened to $308 million. The FCT Minister spoke at a town hall meeting with Ogbakor Etche in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday. “You sold our gas turbine for $308 million. Where is the money?” Wike asked. He called on national television stations to invite Amaechi and demand answers. He urged the people of Etche to demand their share of the proceeds.
The sale of Rivers State’s gas turbine power stations occurred during Amaechi’s tenure as governor from 2007 to 2015. The Justice Omereji Commission of Inquiry investigated the transaction. It reportedly indicted Amaechi. He challenged the report in court. The case was dismissed by the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. The dispute has festered for years. Wike and Amaechi, once political allies, are now bitter rivals. Both served as Rivers governors. Both are from the same political family. Their feud has shaped Rivers politics for a decade.
Wike framed the demand as a question of accountability, not personal animosity. “$100 million today is ₦140 billion,” he said. “So the whole money amounts to ₦419 billion. Upon selling it, what is the share that came to you the people of Etche? Please ask him.” He also questioned Amaechi’s broader record. “When you had the opportunity to be governor of Rivers State, what did you bring to our people? From Igwuruta to Chokochoko, it was a problem.” He cited the appointment of Professor Dimiri Mercury as Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University and the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture campus in Etche as examples of what his own political engagement has delivered. “Politics is not about what one person will gain. Politics is about what your people will gain,” he said.
The timing matters. Wike is campaigning for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Amaechi is the ADC vice presidential candidate. Their rivalry is now national, not just state-level. Amaechi has not responded to the latest demand.
Winners: Wike, who asserts moral high ground. Etche stakeholders, who gain attention. The Tinubu campaign, which gains a talking point. Losers: Amaechi, whose record is challenged. The APC, which faces internal division. Rivers voters, who see another elite feud. The people of Etche, if the proceeds never reach them.
Bottom Line: A $308 million sale. A demand for answers. Wike wants Amaechi to account for the money. Amaechi has not responded. The courts have ruled. The people of Etche still wait. The feud continues.