Former Minister of Transportation and two-time presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that only a united and determined citizen-led movement can prevent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from returning to power in 2027.
According to him, passivity and wishful thinking will not bring about the necessary political change.
Amaechi made the remarks on Thursday during the public presentation of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey Report by the Africa Polling Institute, held in Abuja.
“The only way to stop Tinubu from becoming President again in 2027 is by staging a real electoral battle — one between the Nigerian people and the elite ‘bandits.’ If you think it will happen by simply wishing it so, may God help you,” he warned.
He condemned the widespread inaction and complacency among the populace, stressing that real change cannot be achieved through passive complaints or wishful thinking.
“There are only about 100,000 elites looting the country, yet there are 200 million Nigerians. Why do you act powerless when you actually have the numbers to drive change? The elites know you are unhappy, but your helplessness isn’t their doing — it’s yours,” he said.
Amaechi highlighted examples from around the world — including Bangladesh, Peru, and Kenya — where citizens rose up against failed leadership through sustained mass protests.
“In Bangladesh, when the people had had enough, they drove their leader out. Same thing happened in Peru or Chile. But Nigeria remains the most docile country I’ve ever seen. Has there ever been a revolution without bloodshed? Any bloodless revolution is a failure,” he argued.
Reflecting on his personal frustrations, Amaechi revealed that he had considered relocating abroad but was dissuaded by his wife.
“I once told my wife I wanted to ‘japa’ like everyone else. I could easily get a visa to settle abroad. But she said, ‘No, we can’t leave Nigeria because it’s still a lovable and beautiful country.’”
Amaechi also decried the weakening of once-powerful civil society coalitions, lamenting how groups such as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which used to organize joint actions in the past, are now divided and ineffective.
“Back then, ASUU, NLC, and NANS would meet and plan joint protests. If NANS issued a statement, ASUU would give the government a week, and NLC would join after two. But today, NLC cannot even mobilise its members. Why? Ethnicity. I told them I was ready to join a protest, and they still refused. Nigeria has totally collapsed.”
According to Amaechi, the failure of Nigeria’s current political leadership has surpassed even the shortcomings of past military regimes.
“We pushed out the military in hope of better governance, but the politicians who replaced them have proven to be far worse,” he said bluntly.
Drawing from his time as governor, Amaechi noted how economic hardship directly correlates with rising crime rates.
“When I was governor, I monitored incidents of robbery and kidnapping. These crimes often signal a lack of liquidity in the economy. I would instruct the finance commissioner to pay contractors and outstanding debts. That money would trickle down — to workers, suppliers, traders, and service providers. As the money circulates, crime levels drop.”
IREPORT247NEWS reports that the former minister Amaechi officially announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that Nigeria is in a state of complete collapse and urgently needs an overhaul of its governance and political structure.
Amaechi made the revelation on Wednesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the interim executive of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His statements were pointed, emotionally charged, and aimed squarely at both the ruling party and the country’s electoral body.
“Nigeria is completely destroyed. People can’t eat, can’t afford basic necessities. There’s no money in circulation. Inflation is suffocating the poor. Everything is gone,” he declared. Read here.