Former Minister of Transportation and ex-governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and accused the ruling party of colluding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hijack future elections in Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during the unveiling of the interim leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Amaechi launched a scathing critique of the state of the nation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“Nigeria is completely destroyed. People can’t eat, they can’t buy food, and there’s no money. Inflation is at its peak,” he said. “And while Nigerians are suffering, the federal government is moving around trying to hijack elections with the help of INEC.”
Amaechi, who said he officially resigned from the APC on Tuesday night, also revealed he had severed ties with the party long before his resignation letter, noting that he had warned party leaders not to invite him to any more meetings. “I was surprised they didn’t expel me,” he said. “You can’t be in a club where the majority are stealing and stay silent.”
When asked whether his current stance was about opposing President Tinubu’s government, Amaechi responded:
“It’s not about changing the government; it’s about changing Nigeria. What we need now is a movement, not just a party one that empowers Nigerians to take back their country.”
Amaechi was unapologetic in his criticism of President Tinubu, saying: “I have never believed Tinubu is fit to govern Nigeria. Now people want Muhammadu Buhari back. That’s how bad things have gotten. When new governments take over and perform worse, people start missing the old ones.”
He pointed to the crashing value of the naira as evidence of economic collapse:
“Under Buhari, the dollar was ₦460–₦500. Today it is ₦1,580. That’s more than a 100% decline. If this is a deliberate policy, then it’s a policy that ignores the suffering of Nigerians.”
On whether he was being overly ambitious, Amaechi replied: “I have the right to be ambitious. I am not overambitious.”
Amaechi’s departure from the APC marks a significant shift in his political journey. Once a prominent member of the ruling party and a two-time Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaigns, he is now aligning with opposition forces in what he describes as a broader effort to reclaim Nigeria through grassroots mobilisation and people-driven reform.
