Former Minister of Transportation and two-time Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Nigeria’s fractured opposition to unite and remove President Bola Tinubu from office, warning that the country’s economic woes will only worsen under the current administration.
In a candid interview with the BBC, Amaechi—an influential founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)—painted a bleak portrait of daily life in Nigeria. “People are dying. People are starving. I myself am feeling the effects of hunger,” he declared, as he questioned the government’s handling of the country’s mounting economic and security challenges.
Amaechi’s sharp critique comes shortly after the APC formally endorsed President Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election—a move Amaechi openly questioned, saying, “If the government is failing the country, you don’t just go along because you’re in the same party. You know that’s not right.”
Although he stopped short of announcing his own presidential ambitions, Amaechi made it clear he remains in the political fray: “Certainly, I believe I can make a meaningful contribution,” he said, leaving the door open for a future run.
Opposition Realignment Gathers Momentum
Amaechi’s remarks add fuel to ongoing talks among leading opposition figures—including Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (Labour Party), and former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai—about building a coalition to challenge the APC in 2027. The urgency for unity, he argued, is rooted in Nigeria’s spiralling poverty, hunger, and insecurity. “The Boko Haram insurgency is not just a religious crisis. Many of those involved are driven by desperation and hunger,” he noted, linking violence and kidnapping to the nation’s economic collapse.
Reflecting on his time as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Amaechi lamented that the number of out-of-school children, previously at 10 million, has continued to rise. “We’re thinking that if we come together and win the election, the country will certainly witness change,” he told the BBC.
Growing Fears of a One-Party State
Meanwhile, the APC continues to attract defectors from rival parties, fueling concerns over a potential slide toward one-party dominance. Amaechi cautioned that such a scenario “could undermine democracy and silence dissent.”
As opposition leaders weigh their options, the stakes for 2027—and for the future of Nigeria’s democracy—have never been higher.
Glide News will continue to provide in-depth coverage on political realignment and the 2027 election landscape.
0 Comments