A former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has again criticised President Bola Tinubu, saying he is not worthy to rule Nigeria.
In a viral video on X, Amaechi questioned President Tinubu’s reasons for seeking office, asking what has happened to public funds amid Nigeria’s economic challenges.
He subsequently criticised Tinubu’s administration over insecurity, with the former Transportation Minister arguing that the Constitution places a responsibility on the President to protect lives and property.
“As we’re talking today, President Tinubu is not worthy to be president, by law,” he said.
“Let Tinubu tell us why he came to power. What is happening to our money?”
The Vice Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised Tinubu’s reforms like fuel subsidy removal and naira floating.
Amaechi said they have increased hardship without clear benefits to citizens despite higher government revenues.
On subsidy, he said: “When we bring back subsidies, it’s not that one that will produce rich men. That subsidy where rich men will go to Ghana and come back to say, ‘We have bought fuel for you’. We are bringing back a subsidy called the Production subsidy. If you don’t have a refinery in Nigeria, you will not get a subsidy. We don’t have to pay for it. Government will not pay for the subsidy. All the government needs to do is to make a policy.
“The price at which I sell crude on the international market and price with which I sell crude in the Nigerian market will be different. I will do domestic pricing. If I sell crude at N15,000 on the international market, in Nigeria, I will sell to Dangote at N10,000. And here we have four modular refineries.
“The difference will be N5,000. I will then sit with Dangote and the modular refiners and tell them to give me a subsidy of N5,000. Once that happens, the price of fuel will come down. When the price of fuel comes down, the price of everything will go down.”
Amaechi’s criticism captures ongoing opposition commentary as Nigerian politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, the ADC has called on Nigerians to draw important lessons from Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States, where American voters delivered a political tsunami against the ruling Republican Party and a decisive rebuke of the ruling party’s leadership and unpopular economic policies.
In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, the ADC said the outcome demonstrates that the greatest power in any democracy belongs not to the president or the ruling party, but to ordinary citizens armed with their votes.
“Americans have shown that when politicians become arrogant, when policies punish ordinary people, and when those in power mistake popularity for a permanent licence to govern, the ballot box remains the ultimate instrument of accountability.
“American voters understand something Nigerians must also learn: elections are about the welfare of the citizens, not sentiments, political loyalties or personality cults. No leader is bigger than the people, and no political party is entitled to power forever,” the ADC said.
The ADC noted that Nigerians have endured years of unprecedented economic hardship, worsening insecurity and disappearing opportunities under the Tinubu-led APC government, yet they are being asked to reward the same party with another mandate.
“We cannot continue to complain about the cost of living while voting for a President who has made life unaffordable. We cannot demand security while rewarding failure. We cannot earnestly yearn for change while sustaining the very political system responsible for our collective impoverishment.
“History beckons in 2027. Our voters’ cards must become instruments of change, not souvenirs of citizenship. Nigerians must turn out massively and vote for their own interests.
“The ADC and its candidates are offering Nigerians a clear alternative: Make Nigeria Affordable Again. Make Nigeria Safe Again. Give Nigerians Jobs Again.
“If Americans can use their votes to demand better, Nigerians can do the same. In 2027, let our votes speak louder than the APC-induced suffering.”