Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, arguing that the administration’s “Emilokan” philosophy has plunged Nigerians into severe economic hardship and forex instability.
Rotimi Amaechi, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has raised sharp questions regarding President Bola Tinubu’s participation in the 2027 presidential race. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, May 14, 2026, while submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms, the former Minister of Transportation directly linked the current administration’s policies to the deepening economic distress across the nation. Amaechi argued that the country’s leadership recruitment process has been fundamentally flawed by slogans of entitlement rather than competence, asserting that Nigerians can no longer afford to choose leaders based on ethnic or religious affiliations. “It is what do you call it, Emilokan, that brought us here. It is our turn that brought us here. It is the turn of Nigerians, because you see there is no market for Christians, neither is there a market for Muslims, or a market for northerners or southerners,” Amaechi declared.
The former Rivers State Governor painted a grim picture of the national economy, specifically citing the volatility of the Naira and the rising cost of living as evidence of the administration’s failure. He expressed disbelief that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would seek to remain in power given the prevailing circumstances. “The market has only just one purpose, the forex. And what is forex? Naira. Nigerians are suffering. They are suffering. The current president has put us in this suffering. I don’t know why he wants to run. I don’t even know why APC wants to participate. They should be in shame and allow other Nigerians to participate and change the country,” he added. Amaechi emphasized that the 2027 election should serve as a referendum on performance, urging the electorate to scrutinize the track records of all candidates who have previously held public office.
Positioning himself as a seasoned administrator capable of unseating the incumbent, Amaechi pointed to his tenures as Governor and Minister as blueprints for national transformation. He maintained that his age and experience make him the most viable candidate to provide the “national renewal” the ADC promises. “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 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 concluded. Regarding the internal party process, Amaechi noted a preference for direct primaries to ensure popular participation but signaled his willingness to abide by a consensus arrangement if it aligned with his candidacy.
READ THE FULL STORY IN DAILY TRUST
NEWS NOW:
