By Okafor Joseph Afam | Published July 4, 2025 | SpringnewsNG

Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has delivered a stinging critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.

Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, Amaechi said President Tinubu’s economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and naira flotation, have failed to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.

“The current government has completely buried the economy. Any economic policy that does not put money in the pockets of Nigerians is not a real policy,” Amaechi declared.

He questioned the rationale behind the government’s economic decisions:

“You’re making savings from removing the subsidy, from floating the naira — where is the money? Where is it going?”

Since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, the removal of petroleum subsidy and the floating of the naira have triggered spiraling inflation, food insecurity, and a rising cost of living. Amaechi said these policies have plunged more Nigerians into poverty.

“Only members of this government belong to the rich class now. The middle class has disappeared, and the number of poor people is growing. At this rate, we may not even see the poor anymore — they’ll all be dead,” he said.

Amaechi, now a prominent figure within the newly energized African Democratic Congress (ADC), is part of a political coalition aiming to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

When asked if he would consider a single-term presidency should he run under the ADC, he replied:

“Of course. I speak my mind. If I plan to do only four years, I’ll say it. If I plan to do more, I’ll say it too.”

Amaechi also emphasized his commitment to Nigeria’s unwritten zoning arrangement, which rotates power between the North and South.

Recalling his role in the 2015 political shift, he said:

“I led the fight against the PDP government because they broke the agreement to rotate power. I believed it would create instability. That’s why I supported a northern candidate to preserve the balance.”

With the 2027 elections approaching, Amaechi’s sharp rebuke of the Tinubu government signals a deepening rift within Nigeria’s political elite — and sets the stage for a potentially explosive contest.