Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday pledged to transform Nigeria within four years if elected in the 2027 general election. Amaechi made the promise shortly after submitting his nomination forms at the ADC national headquarters in Abuja.
Amaechi Criticizes Tinubu Administration
He criticized President Bola Tinubu's administration for worsening economic hardship across the country. Amaechi stated that the 2027 election should be decided by competence, experience, and performance rather than ethnic or regional sentiments.
“What Nigerians should do is assess all of us who are running for office based on our records,” Amaechi said. “Nearly everybody who is running for the office of the president has served Nigeria in one way or another. Let this be a referendum. If you have performed, whoever has outperformed the other, vote for the person.”
Experience and Track Record
Amaechi argued that his years in public office had prepared him for the task of leading Nigeria. He cited his tenure as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and his role as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The next thing is, who is capable of delivering the votes? Who is capable of beating the incumbent? Who has the experience? I believe I am the most experienced. I am young, I am the most experienced, and I believe I have the capacity. Go back to Rivers State and see what I have done. Go back to the Ministry of Transportation and see what I have done, and assess it and see whether I can turn the country around. And I will, in four years, turn the country around,” he declared.
Railway Projects and Criticism
As Minister of Transportation between 2015 and 2023, Amaechi oversaw major railway projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines. While these projects were praised for improving transport, critics raised concerns about the rising debt linked to infrastructure development.
Call for Merit-Based Voting
Speaking on Nigeria's current economic situation, Amaechi condemned what he described as growing hardship under President Tinubu. “Nigerians should vote for merit, not vote for those who say, ‘I’m from this place’ or ‘it is our turn.’ It is the ‘Emilokan’ mentality that brought us here. It is our turn that brought us here. Now Nigerians are suffering,” he said.
He added: “There is no market for Christians, nor is there a market for Muslims, nor a market for northerners or southerners. The market has only one purpose — the naira. Nigerians are suffering. The current president has put us in this suffering. I don’t know why he wants to run again. I don’t even know why the APC wants to participate. They should be ashamed and allow other Nigerians to participate and change the country.”
ADC Primaries and Political Realignments
On the forthcoming ADC presidential primaries, Amaechi expressed preference for a direct primary but said he would accept a consensus arrangement if it favoured him. “I’m going for primary. If the consensus is me, fine. But if it’s not me, I’m going for primary,” he stated.
Amaechi’s declaration comes amid increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties seeking stronger coalitions to challenge the ruling APC.
Amaechi Obtains ADC Presidential Ticket
Legit.ng earlier reported that Amaechi formally obtained the Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination Form of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election. The development comes amid ongoing internal disputes within the opposition party over its leadership structure and political direction.
