Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the result of political pressure orchestrated by former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience Jonathan.
Speaking during an interview on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, Amaechi said he was effectively pushed out of the PDP after what he described as a takeover of the political structure in Rivers State by the then president and First Lady.
According to him, the same pattern of political exclusion followed him into the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he also eventually fell out with the ruling party. President Bola Tinubu leads the APC government he referenced.
“I was literally chased out of the PDP. The president, Goodluck Jonathan and his wife took over the political structure in Rivers State and forced me out. The same thing happened in APC,” Amaechi said.
The former Rivers State governor, who left the PDP in 2013 after internal party conflicts and suspension over alleged anti-party activities, also exited the APC in 2025, citing dissatisfaction with governance under Tinubu.
Amaechi insisted that he has consistently spoken out against what he considers injustice, adding that attempts were often made to sideline him politically whenever he voiced dissent.
“I will never keep quiet in the face of injustice. When I speak up, they begin to plan to make me irrelevant,” he said.
Now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Amaechi also expressed willingness to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if he emerges as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections, while stressing that leadership selection should prioritize competence over regional considerations.
He further dismissed zoning politics, arguing that Nigeria should focus on capability rather than geographical balance in choosing its leaders.