“I Bought My Rolls-Royce Myself” – Wike Boasts, Says Amaechi Comes from a Poor Background

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has stirred controversy after declaring he personally purchased a Rolls-Royce and accusing former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi of hypocrisy and dishonesty over wealth and lifestyle.

Speaking on *Politics Today*, a Channels Television programme, Wike insisted that the luxury car was not a gift from any contractor, emphasizing that he paid for it with his own money. “Nobody gave me a Rolls-Royce,” Wike said. “I bought it myself.”

He challenged suggestions that owning such an expensive car while in public office implied corruption. “No court has found me guilty of corruption,” Wike said. “I need money to take care of my family, pay school fees, and for healthcare. That doesn’t make me corrupt.”

Wike used the opportunity to draw a sharp contrast between his upbringing and that of Amaechi, his political rival and predecessor as Rivers State governor. He claimed he came from a relatively privileged background, noting that his father was a general manager of several companies and owned multiple duplexes. “As a student, I was using a Mercedes Benz,” he said, adding, “I didn’t come from the same background as Rotimi Amaechi.”

The minister alleged that Amaechi had once accepted a Rolls-Royce from a contractor, something he said he would never do. “That was pride,” Wike said. “He took from a contractor. I will not do that.”

Wike also criticised Amaechi for claiming to dislike money, calling him “a big liar” and suggesting that such a statement was dishonest for any public figure. “Nobody can do without money,” he said. “When a man comes in the public to say, ‘I don’t like money,’ you know that man is a big liar.”

Responding to Amaechi’s previous allegations that he owns houses everywhere, Wike dismissed the claims as unfounded and suggested Amaechi has a “spiritual problem.” He pointed out that Amaechi held public office for 16 years and questioned how someone with that political tenure could claim to own no property.

The interview has reignited the long-running rivalry between the two former allies, with Wike once again making headlines for his blunt and combative style.