Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has made a bold declaration about the current state of Nigeria, stating that the nation is “completely destroyed” and in urgent need of fundamental change. Speaking during an interview on Wednesday after the unveiling of the interim executive of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja, Amaechi did not hold back in his criticism of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Amaechi accused both APC and INEC of conspiring to manipulate and hijack the forthcoming elections, alleging that the federal government is more focused on controlling the electoral process than addressing the dire economic conditions facing ordinary Nigerians.
“Nigeria is destroyed. People can’t eat. People can’t buy food. There’s no money to buy food. Everything is gone. Inflation is at its peak. And the federal government is busy going around trying to hijack the election. INEC is helping them to hijack the election,” Amaechi said.
He emphasized that what the country needs is not just a political transition but a complete systemic overhaul led by the people themselves. According to him, “It’s not about changing the government. If it’s just about changing the government, there’s no point. It’s about changing Nigeria.”
Amaechi revealed that he officially resigned from the APC on Tuesday night, stating that he had previously warned the party leadership not to invite him to any meetings. He expressed surprise that he wasn’t expelled from the party earlier, given his outspoken stance.
“I left APC last night. I never attended one meeting. Last time they invited me, I warned them in writing. I said, if you invite me to any meeting anymore… In fact, I was surprised that I wasn’t even expelled. You can’t be in a club where the majority of people are stealing and you don’t say anything,” he said.
When asked why he is now distancing himself from the party he once served under, and why he is not supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Amaechi was blunt in his response.
“I have never believed that Tinubu is a material to govern the country. I have never. People now want (Muhammadu) Buhari to come back. In Nigeria, each new government ends up being worse than the last, and that’s why people begin to long for the previous administration,” he stated.
Citing economic indices to back up his claims, Amaechi pointed out that the naira has significantly depreciated under the current government. “During Buhari’s time, the dollar was around ₦460 to ₦500. Now it’s ₦1,580 — that’s over a hundred percent increase.”
Reacting to suggestions that the current economic policy may be a deliberate strategy by the Tinubu administration, Amaechi dismissed the idea, arguing that any policy that disregards the welfare of the citizens is flawed. “Whether it’s a deliberate government policy or not, any government that does not take into consideration the people it governs has no business calling it a policy. Tinubu himself said he is not here to make Nigerians happy.”
On whether he is driven by personal ambition, the former minister responded, “I have the right to be ambitious. I am not over ambitious.”
Amaechi concluded by calling for a national movement — beyond political parties — where Nigerians can collectively reclaim their country from those who, in his view, have failed to govern with integrity and compassion.
