Former Minister of Transport and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed why he refused to vote for or work with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 general elections. According to him, his decision was based on a deep conviction that Tinubu lacked the capacity to effectively govern Nigeria.
Amaechi made the statement during a public lecture held in Abuja to mark his 60th birthday. The event, which focused on the theme “Weaponization of Poverty”, drew several prominent personalities including former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai; Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Cardinal John Onaiyekan; and other traditional rulers.
Speaking candidly, Amaechi disclosed: “I met President Tinubu in Yola and I told him I will not work for you and I will not vote for you. People have said I don’t support APC or PDP, but that’s because I was convinced there was an issue of capacity.”
Amaechi, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), criticised Nigerian political culture, saying most citizens vote based on ethnic and religious sentiments rather than competence and track record.
“Let me tell you, no Nigerian leader cares for the poor, because they know Nigerians can do nothing once they get into power. When Nigerians protested, the President responded by increasing fuel prices. Why? Because they know the people can’t fight back,” he said.
Amaechi also expressed disappointment with some public officials he once appointed. Sharing a personal experience from his time as Minister of Transport, he said, “I was ashamed of one of my appointees. I appointed her to deliver on her job, but all she was concerned about was speaking Hausa/Fulani to the President. That’s not how nations move forward.”
He criticised the misuse of capitalism in Nigeria, describing the country as a place that merely consumes oil revenue rather than producing goods or investing in industrial growth. “We claim to be a capitalist country, but real capitalists invest in production. Nigeria doesn’t produce anything — we’re just spending oil money.”
Amaechi also tackled the religious and ethnic narrative that dominates Nigerian politics. “Ordinary northerners and southerners don’t have any issues with each other. It’s during elections that politicians bring in religion and tribe to divide us,” he said.
Commenting on the current state of the country under the Tinubu administration, Amaechi took a swipe at the much-debated Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. “Now we have a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Let the Muslim-Muslim market come out now and help. We are all hungry — if you’re not, I am.”
Amaechi’s remarks have sparked fresh debate about the direction of the APC and Nigeria’s leadership under President Tinubu, especially coming from someone who played a central role in the party’s formation and in previous federal administrations.
