2027: Amaechi vows to resign if Nigeria fails to change

Vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has vowed to resign if Nigeria fails to begin witnessing significant changes within one year of the party taking power in 2027.

Amaechi made the declaration during an interview on AIT’s Democracy Today on Wednesday, saying an ADC administration would prioritise security, education and the economy.

He said tackling corruption would be central to addressing the country’s challenges, arguing that public funds meant for critical sectors were being diverted into private hands.

“We must deal with three things. We must deal with security; we must deal with education; we must deal with the economy. And to do all that, corruption will have to come down because there’s no money for anybody to steal,” Amaechi said.

The former Rivers State governor also criticised the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu administration, arguing that Nigerians had not benefited sufficiently from the policy.

“President Tinubu remove subsidy, what are the benefits of subsidy? Subsidy money is in private pockets and they are celebrating,” he said.

Amaechi further questioned the level of spending at lavish social events amid widespread poverty, saying he sometimes left such gatherings after only a few minutes because of concerns over the source of the money being spent.

“I sit down and ask myself, where are these people getting this money from, going by how high poverty is in Nigeria?” he said.

On the economy, the ADC candidate expressed concern about Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished goods, claiming that the country now imports more than 46 per cent of such goods.

“Who are those importing? Nigeria is in trouble,” he said.

Amaechi also referred to reports of Nigerians booing President Tinubu during his arrival at the Lagos International Airport, saying an ADC government would seek to change the situation through its proposed policies.

“I watched people hoot at Tinubu from the Lagos International Airport to his house. If we become President, nobody will do that, they will be clapping for us because we will change Nigeria,” he said.

Amaechi’s pledge came after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said President Tinubu should remove him from office if he fails to deliver the Federal Capital Territory to the President in the 2027 election.

Amaechi, however, said he was prepared to stake his position on the performance of an ADC administration, declaring: “If Nigeria does not begin to change one year after we’ve come to office, come to me, I will resign.”