Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is the running mate to African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to resign from office if an ADC-led government fails to deliver noticeable improvements in Nigeria within its first year in power.
Amaechi made the declaration during an appearance on AIT’s Democracy Today programme on Wednesday, where he outlined some of the priorities he said an ADC administration would pursue if elected in 2027.
Amaechi identifies key areas of focus
According to the former governor, an ADC government would prioritise security, education and the economy, while also tackling corruption, which he described as a major obstacle to national development.
He argued that government resources would have to be protected from diversion if the country is to make meaningful progress.
“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.
Amaechi questions impact of subsidy removal
Amaechi also criticised the removal of petrol subsidies by the Tinubu administration, questioning whether Nigerians have seen sufficient benefits 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.
He further questioned how some Nigerians continue to accumulate wealth despite the high level of poverty in the country.
“I sit down and ask myself, where are these people getting this money from, going by how high poverty is in Nigeria?”
Amaechi also raised questions about the importation of petroleum products and the broader economic challenges facing the country.
‘Nobody will hoot at us’
Reflecting on the public reaction to President Bola Tinubu, Amaechi claimed he had witnessed Nigerians expressing dissatisfaction with the President during his movement from Lagos airport.
“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.
‘I will resign’
Amaechi ultimately set a one-year performance benchmark for an ADC administration, promising to accept personal responsibility if Nigerians do not begin to see meaningful changes.
“This time, I will say it. If Nigeria does not begin to change one year after we’ve come to office, come to me, I will resign,” he said.
His comments come ahead of the 2027 general election, with the ADC positioning itself as part of the opposition challenge to the ruling administration.