Samuel Omang
Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that Nigeria is “completely destroyed” and in dire need of a fundamental overhaul—not just a change of government.
Amaechi made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the interim executive committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is rapidly emerging as a coalition platform for opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former minister issued a damning critique of the ruling APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing both institutions of colluding to hijack the electoral process.
“Nigeria is completely destroyed,” Amaechi said in a candid interview. “People can’t eat. There’s no money to buy food. Inflation is at its peak. And the federal government is busy trying to hijack the election, with INEC aiding them.”
He further emphasized that the solution is not simply to replace the ruling party, but to build a grassroots movement capable of reclaiming power on behalf of ordinary Nigerians.
“What must happen here is that we must start not just a party, but a movement. It must be a movement that brings Nigerians together to take over government by themselves—not us,” he said.
Amaechi disclosed that he officially resigned from the APC on Tuesday night, saying he had long disengaged from the party’s internal activities. He noted that he had previously warned the party not to invite him to meetings and expressed surprise that he had not already been expelled.
“I left APC last night. I never attended one meeting. The last time they invited me, I warned them in writing—‘Don’t invite me to any meeting again.’ You can’t be in a club where the majority of people are stealing and you keep silent.”
When asked why he chose not to support the Tinubu administration, under which he served for two years, Amaechi did not mince words.
“I have never believed that Tinubu is a material to govern the country—I never did. And now people are calling for Buhari to come back. That’s how bad things have gotten.”
“Under Buhari, the dollar was about ₦460 to ₦500. Today, it’s ₦1,580. That’s over a 100 percent increase. Things were better under Buhari, and that says a lot.”
Responding to claims that the currency devaluation and other policies could be deliberate strategies by the government, Amaechi argued that such policies lack legitimacy if they fail to prioritize the wellbeing of citizens.
“Whether it’s a deliberate government policy or not, any government that does not consider the people it governs is not making policy. President Tinubu said he is not here to make Nigerians happy.”
When asked whether his recent political posture is driven by ambition, the former minister responded confidently:
“I have the right to be ambitious. I am not overambitious.”
Amaechi’s public resignation and his searing indictment of the APC government are seen as a major shake-up within Nigeria’s opposition landscape. His emergence at the ADC event signals a potential reconfiguration of political forces ahead of the 2027 elections, as discontent with the current administration continues to mount.
