By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 7, 2026
Keypoints
• The Rivers State African Democratic Congress says the 2027 elections will not be won through boasting, intimidation or empty promises.
• ADC Chairman Chukwudi Dimkpa criticised comments attributed to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike about defeating Rotimi Amaechi by noon on election day.
• Dimkpa said only voters can determine the outcome of the election.
• He maintained that INEC, not Wike or any political figure, will declare the winner.
• The ADC chairman accused Wike and the Ikwerre LGA chairman of turning a civic reception into a political attack on Amaechi while he was mourning his mother.
• Dimkpa urged Rivers residents not to be intimidated and to vote for credible leadership in 2027.
Main Story
The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has hit back at comments attributed to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the 2027 elections, saying political contests cannot be won through boasts, intimidation or promises made to the electorate.
Rivers State ADC Chairman, Chukwudi Dimkpa, made the remarks in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday, Dimkpa was responding to comments reportedly made by Wike during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Ikwerre Local Government Area in Omagwa on Saturday. At the event, Wike reportedly said Rotimi Amaechi, the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate, would be defeated by 12 noon on election day.
The ADC chairman dismissed the claim, insisting that the people of Rivers State would ultimately determine the outcome through their votes, Dimkpa said elections are not decided by political figures announcing results in advance, stressing that voters would cast their ballots, votes would be counted and the Independent National Electoral Commission would declare the winner.
He also criticised the timing of the reception, alleging that the event took place along the route to Amaechi’s hometown of Ubima as people travelled to attend his mother’s burial, According to Dimkpa, the situation turned the event into an opportunity to attack and taunt Amaechi while he was mourning his mother.
The Issues
The dispute highlights the increasingly intense political rivalry ahead of the 2027 elections in Rivers State, At the centre of the disagreement is the contest between political camps associated with Wike and Amaechi, as well as the question of whether political influence can translate into electoral victory, The ADC is also raising concerns about political intimidation and the use of public events for campaign-related attacks before the formal election campaign period.
What’s Being Said
Dimkpa said Rivers State belongs to all its citizens and that no individual or political group owns the people’s votes, He argued that Wike’s prediction about Amaechi’s defeat could not determine the actual outcome of the election, The ADC chairman also called on Rivers residents to ignore intimidation and make their own choice based on the quality and credibility of the candidates.
What’s Next
Political activity is expected to intensify as parties and their candidates prepare for the 2027 elections, The ADC will be seeking to strengthen its presence in Rivers State and persuade voters that its candidates can provide credible leadership, The growing exchanges between the Wike and Amaechi camps could also become a major feature of Rivers State’s political contest as the election approaches.
Bottom Line
The Rivers ADC has rejected Wike’s prediction of an early defeat for Rotimi Amaechi, arguing that only voters and the electoral process can determine the winner in 2027. The exchange underscores the deepening political rivalry in Rivers State and signals a potentially heated election campaign ahead.
