Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has voiced sharp criticism of the current administration, saying the hardship under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has grown so severe that many Nigerians are now nostalgic for the era of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking in Abuja, Amaechi stated that the country has deteriorated to the point where a simple change in government is no longer enough to fix the damage.
“Inflation is at its peak. People cannot eat. People cannot buy food. There is no money to buy food. Everything is gone,” he said.
He argued that the worsening conditions have caused Nigerians to re-evaluate Buhari’s tenure.
“Now people want Buhari to come back. What happens in Nigeria is that each new government ends up being worse than the last, and people begin to long for the previous one,” Amaechi said.
On Tuesday night, the former minister confirmed his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring his alignment with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“I left APC last night (Tuesday). I never attended one meeting. The last time they invited me, I warned them. In fact, I was surprised I was not expelled. I wrote to them not to invite me again. You cannot be in a club where the majority of people are stealing and you do not say anything,” he stated.
Explaining his current stance against the government he once served, Amaechi stressed that the problem is not merely leadership but the entire system.
He called for a broader national movement to bring true change.
“It is not just about changing leadership but about fixing the country,” he said.
He emphasized the need for a citizen-led initiative rather than a traditional party-driven effort: “There is the need to start a movement, not just a party that brings Nigerians together to take over the government for themselves rather than for ‘us’.”
Amaechi did not mince words regarding President Tinubu’s capacity to govern.
“I have never believed that Tinubu is material to govern the country. I never have,” he declared.
He also criticized the government’s economic management, particularly the sharp decline of the naira.
“The dollar was about 460 or 500 under Buhari. Now it is 1580. That is more than a 100 percent increase,” he noted.
When asked whether the naira’s fall might be linked to a deliberate policy, Amaechi responded, “Whether it is a deliberate government policy or not, any government that does not consider the wellbeing of its people cannot call it a policy.”
Joining Amaechi in his move to the ADC is former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who also announced his departure from the APC.
Their defection, along with that of other high-profile politicians, marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the ADC seeks to position itself as a credible alternative to the ruling party.
