I’ll turn Nigeria around in four years — Amaechi

Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged to transform Nigeria within four years if elected president in the 2027 general election.

 

Amaechi made the declaration on Thursday after submitting his nomination forms at the ADC national headquarters in Abuja.

 

The former Rivers State governor also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, blaming it for the country’s worsening economic hardship.

 

According to him, the 2027 election should be decided based on 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,” he 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.”

 

Amaechi argued that his years in public office have equipped him with the experience needed to govern the country effectively.

 

“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 stated.

 

Amaechi served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 before becoming Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari between 2015 and 2023.

 

During his tenure, the ministry oversaw major rail projects including the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan railway lines.

 

Speaking further, Amaechi condemned what he described as the “Emilokan mentality” in Nigerian politics, insisting that competence should take precedence over zoning and entitlement.

 

“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 that the country’s economic hardship affects all Nigerians regardless of religion or ethnicity.

 

“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,” he added.

 

Amaechi also questioned why President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would seek re-election amid current economic conditions.

 

“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,” he said.

 

On the ADC presidential primaries, Amaechi said he preferred a direct primary process but 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 said.