Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state and former Minister of Transportation, believes President Bola Tinubu will not hand up power to the younger generation without a fight.
According to the Cable, Amaechi made this statement in Abuja at a national conference on improving democracy in Nigeria hosted by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development.
In his words; “None of you here seated can defend the votes. If you have complained, complain, Nigerians have been clapping for you. The only way Ibrahim Shekarau became governor was because people lined up. It happened in Ghana before the election of the last president. Two days later, a lot of us were called to intervene. But why did they do that? The people were ready to die. You are talking and abusing everybody. Nobody has power and will give it to you — not even me. If you want a pastor as president, go and get one. The politician is there in Nigeria to steal, maim, and kill to remain in power. If you think Tinubu will give it to you, you are wasting your time.”
In October 2024, Amaechi expressed disappointment in Nigerians for their laid-back attitude toward the current economic turmoil.
“The people should be angry. There should be protests. Not even protests against anybody but against the politicians that ‘we won’t vote’,” he had said.
The ruling APC has retaliated against Amaechi, claiming he was one among those who wrecked Nigeria.
Amaechi was one of the APC’s 14 presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 general election.
He finished second in the primary election with 316 votes, trailing eventual winner Tinubu, who received 1,271 votes.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli