Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that many Nigerians are eager to vote President Bola Tinubu out of power in 2027.
He made the declaration on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television.
Amaechi, who spoke in an interview on Friday while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme, cited worsening economic conditions and rising hardship across the country.
The former minister said, “Everybody is suffering, everybody is looking for food to eat. People can’t buy fuel, can’t travel. The airlines are threatening to increase the cost of transportation; everything is skyrocketing.
“For Christ’s sake, President Tinubu does not have the right to speak, he doesn’t. He promised power and said if he doesn’t give power, they should not vote for him. Nigerians are waiting to vote him out.”
He also criticised the role of ethnicity and religion in Nigeria’s political choices, arguing that such considerations contributed to the current situation.
Meanwhile, Amaechi has declared that he doesn’t agree with the option of choosing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election by consensus.
He, however, added that he is ready to support whoever eventually emerges as the ADC presidential candidate, but prefers that the party should hold a primary election.
Amaechi made his position known while reacting to an earlier statement by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who stated that the ADC would first explore the chances of choosing its flagbearer through a consensus.
He said, “If he wins, I will support him, but I don’t agree with those who say, consensus candidate. Let’s go and face the people, let the people choose who they want in the party.
“There must be a primary election in the ADC. I don’t agree with those who say there should be a consensus candidate.”
On the zoning agreement between the North and South, Amaechi said zoning is an internal process of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and must not be binding in contemporary terms.
The former Governor also added that his younger age among those vying for the presidency gives him an advantage because the position needs someone who still has capacity.
“Atiku is eminently qualified to be the president of Nigeria; it is within his right to contest, the issue of zoning or no zoning, what former Vice President Atiku should realize is that this zoning thing is a PDP thing but I don’t agree with this south, north whatever, what I agree with is the most qualified candidate be allowed to govern or be elected.
“I’m the youngest candidate among all those running now, I’m 60. The rest of them are in their 70s. This thing requires capacity,” he declared.