ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Minister of Transportation and two-term Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that opposition parties can unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, adding that he is willing to align with any political movement — including the opposition — as long as the national interest comes first.
Amaechi made the bold statement at an event in Port Harcourt on Saturday, May 31, 2025, to mark his 60th birthday, where he publicly disclosed that he refused to support or vote for Tinubu in the 2023 general elections, citing concerns over “capacity.”
“I met President Tinubu in Yola and I told him I would not work for you and I would not vote for you,” he said.
“I was convinced that there was an issue of capacity.”
The former presidential aspirant’s remarks have reignited questions about his role within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party he helped build but has become increasingly estranged from.
In a sharp deviation from party orthodoxy, Amaechi accused the current administration of hoarding the benefits of its policies, which he said remain confined to private pockets while the masses suffer.
“The gains of those policies are in their private pockets,” Amaechi said.
“If you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him… We want to submit to the opposition if the opposition can lead us out of this problem.”
He urged opposition forces to place the interest of the nation above personal ambition and form a unified front, indicating his own readiness to abandon party lines for national redemption.
The theme of the event, “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria,” provided a springboard for Amaechi to launch a searing indictment of Nigeria’s political elite.
“No Nigerian leader cares for the poor. It’s a conspiracy of the elite,” he declared.
“We don’t care for you; no Nigerian leader cares for you. And the reason is because you all do nothing.”
Referencing the fuel subsidy removal, he questioned the whereabouts of the N4–5 trillion saved, alleging that the funds have not been reinvested in the people but rather “shared among the elite.”
“If they dump it in the economy, you would not be crying. It is a country of sharing money.”
Amaechi linked Nigeria’s worsening insecurity to deepening poverty, stating that during his time as governor, he was able to reduce crime by releasing money into the system to pay salaries and contractors.
“Insecurity is 99 per cent poverty,” he said.
“When I was governor, and there was insecurity, I released money. Insecurity reduced because there was food.”
Taking a veiled swipe at the Tinubu administration’s religious ticket, he added: “Now you have a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Let the Muslim-Muslim market come out now. It’s time. We are all hungry. All of us are. If you are not hungry, I am.”
