I Will Turn Nigeria Around in Four Years – Amaechi Declares, Slams Tinubu’s ‘Emilokan’ Mentality

Akahi News reports that former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, has made a bold pledge to transform Nigeria within four years if elected in the 2027 general election. Akahi News gathered that Amaechi made the declaration shortly after submitting his nomination forms at the ADC national headquarters in Abuja, where he also launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The former Rivers State governor did not mince words. He blamed the current government for the country’s worsening economic hardship and called on Nigerians to reject ethnic and regional sentiments in favour of competence, experience, and performance. “It is the ‘Emilokan’ mentality that brought us here. It is our turn that brought us here. Now Nigerians are suffering,” he declared. But can a man who served in the previous administration truly claim to be the solution? That is the question haunting his campaign.

‘Let This Be a Referendum’: Amaechi Challenges Nigerians on Performance

Amaechi argued that the 2027 election should be a referendum on public service records. “What Nigerians should do is assess all of us who are running for office based on our records,” he said. Akahi News learnt that he specifically challenged voters to examine his tenure as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and his time as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023.

“Nearly everybody who is running for the office of the president has served Nigeria in one way or another. Let this be a referendum. If you have performed, whoever has outperformed the other, vote for the person.” That is a direct challenge to the ethnic arithmetic that has often dominated Nigerian presidential elections. But will the average voter listen? Or will tribe and religion continue to trump track record?

The former minister described himself as the most experienced candidate in the race. “I am young, I am the most experienced, and I believe I have the capacity. Go back to Rivers State and see what I have done. Go back to the Ministry of Transportation and see what I have done, and assess it and see whether I can turn the country around. And I will, in four years, turn the country around,” he declared with characteristic bravado.

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The Railway Legacy: Achievement or Debt Trap?

As Minister of Transportation, Amaechi oversaw major railway projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines. These were visible, tangible projects that Nigerians could see and touch. Akahi News gathered that his supporters point to these as evidence of his capacity to deliver. But critics have raised questions about the rising debt associated with some of the infrastructure projects. Is a railway line a success if it leaves the country drowning in Chinese loans?

Amaechi’s record is not without controversy. As governor of Rivers State, he was known for his confrontational style and his legendary feud with his predecessor, Peter Odili. He also survived repeated attempts by the Peoples Democratic Party to remove him through court rulings. That fighter instinct may appeal to Nigerians who believe the country needs a no-nonsense leader. But the same combativeness that made him a political bulldozer could also make him a divisive national figure.

Akahi News had earlier reported that Amaechi was a key figure in the formation of the All Progressives Congress and served as Director-General of Buhari’s 2015 campaign council. That means he helped bring the APC to power. Now he is running against the APC’s candidate. Political loyalty, it seems, has an expiration date.

Blistering Attack on Tinubu: ‘They Should Be Ashamed’

The former minister did not hide his disdain for the current administration. He criticised what he described as growing hardship under Tinubu, saying Nigerians are bearing the brunt of economic policies that have worsened living conditions. “There is no market for Christians, nor is there a market for Muslims, nor a market for northerners or southerners. The market has only one purpose — the naira. Nigerians are suffering,” he said.

Then came the knockout punch. “The current president has put us in this suffering. I don’t know why he wants to run again. I don’t even know why the APC wants to participate. They should be ashamed and allow other Nigerians to participate and change the country.” Akahi News gathered that these remarks have already sparked heated reactions from APC supporters who accuse Amaechi of biting the hand that once fed him.

But Amaechi appears unmoved. He argues that competence, not turn-by-turn politics, should determine who leads. “Nigerians should vote for merit, not vote for those who say, ‘I’m from this place’ or ‘it is our turn.'” That is a direct swipe at the zoning principle that has shaped Nigerian politics for decades. It is also a risky strategy. In a country where every region feels entitled to its shot at the presidency, dismissing zoning as “Emilokan mentality” could alienate powerful blocs.

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ADC Primaries: Direct Primary or Consensus?

On the forthcoming ADC presidential primaries, Amaechi made his position clear. “I’m going for primary. If the consensus is me, fine. But if it’s not me, I’m going for primary.” That is the language of a man who trusts the process — or at least pretends to. Akahi News learnt that the ADC has recently attracted several high-profile politicians, though it has also lost prominent figures to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, including Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

That loss is significant. The ADC is not the political heavyweight that the APC or PDP is. But Amaechi seems undeterred. He believes that if Nigerians vote based on performance, his record will speak for itself. The question is whether the ADC can provide the platform and the structure needed to reach the millions of voters who may never see his achievements in Rivers State or the railway projects he oversaw.

Amaechi’s declaration comes amid increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties seeking to build stronger coalitions capable of challenging the ruling APC. But with Obi and Kwankwaso now in a different camp, the opposition space is fragmented. That fragmentation could play into Tinubu’s hands.

What Amaechi’s Bid Means for 2027

The former minister is betting on a simple formula: experience + performance + anti-incumbent anger = victory. Akahi News believes that formula has merit. The economic hardship under Tinubu is real. Food prices are through the roof. Fuel subsidies are gone. The naira has taken a beating. If the election were held tomorrow, incumbency would be a liability, not an asset.

But Amaechi has his own baggage. He served in Buhari’s government for eight years. Some of the economic problems Nigeria faces today have roots in that administration. He cannot simply wash his hands of the past. Voters may ask: if you were part of the problem, how can you be the solution?

Nevertheless, the former minister is pressing forward. He is young, energetic, and famously combative. His “Emilokan” attack on Tinubu is designed to resonate with Nigerians who are tired of political entitlement. Whether that message will survive the ethnic and religious divisions that have always defined Nigerian elections remains to be seen.

Akahi News will continue to monitor Amaechi’s campaign and the ADC’s presidential primaries. One thing is certain: 2027 is shaping up to be a fierce contest. And Rotimi Amaechi has just thrown his helmet into the ring with both hands. The question now is whether Nigerians are ready to vote for competence over comfort. That is a philosophical question only the ballot box can answer.