Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has fired back at Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, challenging him to publish the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or resign immediately.
This fiery response comes after Wike, during a recent live broadcast, accused Dame Amaechi of receiving a staggering ₦4 billion monthly from the NDDC through her non-governmental organisation, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI). He also claimed the audit report had been suppressed to protect those implicated in massive fraud—pointing fingers at the Amaechi family.
But Dame Amaechi is having none of it. In a strongly worded statement issued by her media aide, Dike Bekwele, she described Wike’s accusations as “wild, baseless, and absurd,” accusing the FCT minister of launching a smear campaign to damage her reputation.
“There is absolutely no iota of veracity in the allegation made by Mr. Wike… It is a mere figment of his imagination,” the statement reads. She further insisted that neither she nor her organization ever received ₦4 billion in monthly payments from the NDDC, labeling Wike’s outburst as a political vendetta rather than a factual claim.
Highlighting ESI’s record of transparent collaboration with the NDDC, Dame Amaechi dared Wike to make the audit report public if he truly believes it indicts her or ESI. “If he cannot produce such a document, he should do the honorable thing and resign with an unreserved apology to Nigerians,” she said.
As the war of words escalates between two of Rivers State’s most prominent political rivals, Nigerians now wait to see whether Wike will release the alleged audit report—or respond to Dame Amaechi’s bold challenge.
