The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to discipline politicians who resort to personal attacks during campaigns, singling out the African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi.
Wike spoke to journalists in Abuja on Friday after a closed-door meeting with the six area council chairmen and security operatives.
He faulted Amaechi’s recent description of supporters of President Bola Tinubu as thieves and mad people.
Amaechi made the comments on Thursday at a town hall in Edo State, where he urged residents to reject the President and back the opposition in the 2027 poll.
The minister expressed displeasure that the electoral body had yet to publicly react.
According to him, many Nigerians had appealed to INEC to penalise parties and candidates who incite the public instead of debating issues.
He argued that aspirants to public office must answer for their utterances, cautioning that personal attacks could inflame tension before the general elections.
Wike also warned that Amaechi might find it hard to campaign in Rivers State if he persisted.
“If he continues along this line, it may be difficult for him to campaign in Rivers,” he said.
The minister further challenged the media to probe Amaechi’s record as former governor of the state.
He pointed to a $10m fumigation contract awarded to a Cuban company, the N68bn monorail project, and the $308m sale of a state-owned gas turbine.
Wike claimed mosquitoes still trouble residents of Rivers, while the monorail remains nowhere to be seen.
He also alleged that a judicial panel of inquiry had indicted Amaechi, and urged him to explain the outcome.
In a separate directive, Wike instructed the FCT Department of Development Control to work with security agencies to remove illegal beer parlours, motor parks and similar businesses emerging along the Guzape–Asokoro axis.
He said the FCT Administration had received reports of operators trying to set up without approval, adding that the activities could pose a security threat if allowed to continue.
“There is no such approval, and we will not permit it,” he stated.
The minister, however, did not identify the operators or disclose the intelligence behind the order.
