Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that even his loyalty to his wife would not prevent him from opposing her if she governed in a similar manner.
Amaechi, identified as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, made the remarks during an interview with Rapid TV, where he discussed governance, political accountability and the 2027 presidential election.
The former Minister of Transportation argued that personal relationships, religious beliefs and ethnic affiliations should not determine how Nigerians assess their political leaders.
Using his marriage as an illustration, Amaechi said his emotional attachment to his wife would not justify supporting policies he considered harmful.
“Today, the closest person in my life is my wife, not my children. So tomorrow, if my wife becomes president and is doing what Tinubu is doing, I’ll be mad to follow my wife, despite my emotional attachment to her,” he stated.
“It’s either she changes, or I leave her.”
Amaechi urged voters to examine the performance of the current administration and consider the alternatives presented by opposition parties.
He argued that Nigerians already had an opportunity to assess Tinubu’s leadership and should make their electoral decisions based on that experience.
The ADC politician also acknowledged that his own record in public office was open to scrutiny.
Having served as Rivers State governor and later as a federal minister, Amaechi maintained that Nigerians could evaluate his achievements before deciding whether to support him.
“I was once a governor. Rivers State is there, anybody can go and verify. You can do your referendum,” he said.
He nevertheless distinguished his previous public offices from the presidency, noting that neither he nor Atiku Abubakar, identified in the interview as the ADC presidential candidate, had served as president.
Amaechi further criticised the Tinubu administration through an analogy drawn from computing, invoking the expression “garbage in, garbage out” to argue that retaining policies he opposed would produce similarly undesirable outcomes.
Turning to electoral participation, the former governor called for greater voter mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He urged Nigerians to participate actively in the electoral process and remain vigilant against possible irregularities.
Referencing voter turnout in the United States, Amaechi argued that citizens could exercise greater influence over political outcomes through widespread participation.
He also raised concerns about alleged threats of electoral manipulation, questioning why political actors would boast about rigging if they enjoyed genuine public support.
His comments add to the continuing debate between the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition figures over the administration’s performance, electoral accountability and the country’s political direction ahead of 2027.
Ezeana Emmanuel
