“We Would Have Confronted Tinubu If We Were Still in Office” — Amaechi Declares at Book Launch

Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has stirred political conversation with a bold claim that if he and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, were still in power, they would have directly confronted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the current state of the nation.

Amaechi made this remark on Tuesday, May 14, at the launch of Lamido’s autobiography titled “Being True to Myself” held in Abuja.

Taking a reflective tone, the former Rivers governor recalled the era when the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, under his leadership, was widely known for standing its ground and holding the federal government accountable. According to him, the kind of silence currently witnessed in Nigeria’s political landscape was unimaginable during their time.

“I asked you (Lamido) this morning, what is going on currently in the country, in Nigerian politics — would it have happened when we were governors? You said no. And the answer is no,” Amaechi said.

“We would have confronted the government, confronted the president. That’s how radical you were. That’s how our Governors Forum operated. That’s how determined we were to change things.”

He spoke passionately about his close alliance with Lamido during their time in office, describing him as one of his most trusted comrades when it came to bold, sometimes controversial political decisions.

However, he didn’t shy away from recalling how their relationship hit turbulence in the lead-up to the 2015 general elections. While both initially aligned in their opposition to then-President Goodluck Jonathan, they later disagreed over political direction.

“We were quite good friends in government. We had our bad times when we disagreed. I made the mistake of assuming he was as radical as I was,” Amaechi admitted.

He revealed that their final fallout came when Lamido opted to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) while Amaechi and others stuck with the All Progressives Congress (APC), believing it was the best vehicle to unseat the ruling government.

“We said, ‘If we go to the SDP, we will lose the election. Let’s hang on to this one called the APC.’ He disagreed and left us. That’s where we parted ways,” Amaechi said.

His remarks come at a time when many Nigerians are calling out for bolder leadership and stronger voices within the political space — especially in the face of economic hardship, inflation, and social unrest.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU 

Davido’s Manager Asa Asika Set to Tie the Knot with Longtime Girlfriend