PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State — Political commentator Isaac Fayose has criticised Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike over the civic reception held in his honour in Omagwa, Rivers State, on the same day former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi buried his mother in nearby Ubima.
Fayose, in a social media post accompanied by a photograph showing Wike holding an umbrella over Amaechi, recalled the political relationship between the two men, describing their past association as a sharp contrast to their current rivalry.
“At some point he held umbrella for Rt Hon Amaechi,” Fayose wrote, recalling that Amaechi appointed Wike as his Chief of Staff when he was governor of Rivers State.
Fayose also referenced Wike’s earlier political career as chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area before his appointment as Chief of Staff.
His comments came amid renewed controversy over the simultaneous events involving the two former Rivers governors.
Amaechi buried his mother, Dame Ezinne Mary Orduah Amaechi, in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, on Saturday, while Wike attended a civic reception organised in his honour in nearby Omagwa. The proximity and timing of the two events generated political tension and attracted heightened security presence in the area.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) had earlier alleged that the Wike reception, which included other activities, could obstruct access to Ubima and disrupt movement of mourners and dignitaries attending the burial. Those allegations have not been independently established.
Reports from the burial, however, confirmed the presence of several prominent political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Senate President David Mark, former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami and other political leaders.
Wike, who was absent from the burial, used the Omagwa reception to launch fresh criticism against his former political ally. He questioned Amaechi’s record as Minister of Transportation and also spoke about the political contest ahead of the 2027 elections.
The contrasting events have once again highlighted the dramatic deterioration of the relationship between Wike and Amaechi, who were once political allies.
Fayose argued that the episode offered a broader lesson about political loyalty, suggesting that individuals can remain loyal to political leaders while their interests align and later become opponents.
He questioned the wisdom of allowing political rivalry to overshadow a family’s mourning, writing that Wike “did not have to frustrate the burial of an old woman to make a political statement.”
However, Fayose’s allegation that Wike deliberately sought to frustrate the burial remains his interpretation and has not been independently established by Credibility News.
The controversy has also prompted calls for restraint. During the burial, Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt Diocese, Most Rev. Patrick Eluke, urged politicians to use their positions to promote peace and warned against using political power to destroy one another or their communities.
The Wike-Amaechi rivalry remains one of the defining political conflicts in Rivers State, with both men now positioned on opposing sides of the emerging political contest ahead of the 2027 elections.
Credibility News has contacted neither Wike nor Amaechi in relation to Fayose’s specific allegations. Their responses would be included if obtained.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The photograph in Fayose’s post is useful as a visual representation of the former political relationship between Wike and Amaechi, but the photograph itself does not establish when, where or under what circumstances it was taken.
