Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, and Rotimi Amaechi, the former minister of transport, have rekindled their long-standing conflict. This year, both participated in their respective parties' presidential primaries but were unable to win the nomination.
Governor Wike is now involved in a political dispute inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), namely with Atiku Abubakar, the party's presidential candidate. The core of this disagreement is Wike's reluctance to demand that PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu resign in order to maintain regional harmony.
Wike was previously recruited by Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State, as his chief of staff. Amaechi also proposed Wike to be a minister under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Their relationship, however, soured after Wike ran for governor under the PDP and defeated Amaechi's preferred successor, and Amaechi defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, supporting President Muhammadu Buhari.
Despite Tonye Graham-Douglas's achievements, Amaechi recently voiced his displeasure with the way the state government handled his funeral, calling Graham-Douglas a respected elder statesman. Governor Wike responded by calling Amaechi a failure in the state's government and chastising him during a project commissioning.
Acknowledging Amaechi's politicisation of Graham-Douglas's funeral, Wike justified the measures taken by his government to assist the sick governor. The conversation highlights the long-standing hostility and competition between the two powerful individuals in Rivers State politics and beyond.