Rotimi Amaechi, vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has called on Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, accusing his administration of worsening economic hardship.
Speaking on Thursday at the ADC town hall meeting in Edo, Amaechi said the president’s economic decisions had placed additional pressure on households and businesses.
“I read on social media that it is in 2027 that we will know how many madmen we have in Nigeria. It is only a madman that can vote for Tinubu,” he said.
“If you are not mad, then Tinubu should not win here.”
Amaechi particularly criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, rejecting Tinubu’s description of the decision as courageous.
According to the former minister of transportation, the president had acknowledged that he was advised against removing the subsidy but went ahead with the policy.
“There is a difference between courage and recklessness. Tinubu wasn’t courageous; he was reckless,” Amaechi said.
He linked the policy to the wider cost-of-living difficulties facing Nigerians, saying basic necessities had become unaffordable for many households.
“People are not able to feed. Things are difficult,” he said.
Amaechi also questioned the support enjoyed by Tinubu, alleging that some of the president’s supporters were driven by personal interests.
Turning to Nigeria’s energy sector, the former minister said the country had failed to make sufficient use of its natural resources to build a productive economy.
He pointed to Nigeria’s large crude oil and natural gas reserves, particularly in the South-South, arguing that these resources had not translated into sustainable prosperity for citizens.
Amaechi said the country needed policies focused on increasing domestic production rather than measures that put greater pressure on consumers and businesses.
He said Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, would pursue a different approach if elected by restoring “production subsidy” to support local production and reduce economic pressure on Nigerians.
Ojo Triumph
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