The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has responded to comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, dismissing his claim that the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, would be defeated by midday on election day.
The ADC chairman in Rivers State, Dr Chukwudi Dimkpa, described Wike’s remarks as political boasting and insisted that the outcome of the 2027 general election would be determined by voters and the electoral process.
Dimkpa, who spoke in Port Harcourt on Monday, September 7, said elections could not be won through intimidation, political influence or declarations made ahead of voting.
He said Rivers voters would have the opportunity to cast their ballots, after which the votes would be counted and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would officially announce the results.
“Elections are not won by boasts, intimidation or political strongmen announcing results in advance. Rivers people will vote, the votes will be counted, and INEC, not Wike, will declare the winner,” Dimkpa said.
The ADC chairman also criticised the timing of a civic reception organised in honour of Wike at Omagwa on Saturday, September 5.
According to him, the event took place on the same day Amaechi was burying his mother in Ubima, where people from different parts of the country had gathered for the funeral.
Dimkpa alleged that Wike and the chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Charles Wobodo, used the occasion to hold a political gathering along the same route, resulting in traffic congestion.
He described the development as insensitive and provocative, arguing that political differences should not overshadow basic respect for a family mourning the loss of a loved one.
The ADC chairman said his party deliberately refrained from responding immediately because its attention was focused on the funeral.
He, however, warned that Rivers State belonged to all its citizens and that no individual or political leader could claim ownership of the electorate or determine election results before voting takes place.
Dimkpa urged Rivers residents not to be intimidated ahead of the 2027 elections, calling on them to focus on candidates with credible programmes and the capacity to improve their lives.
His comments followed Wike’s remarks at the civic reception, where the minister told supporters that candidates fielded by the opposition Rainbow Coalition would emerge victorious in the 2027 elections.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has openly backed President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election despite remaining a member of the PDP.
The exchange between Wike and the Rivers ADC leadership adds to the growing political contestation ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly in Rivers State, where Wike and Amaechi have remained major figures in the state’s political landscape.
