We can remove Tinubu from power in 2027 — Former Buhari’s Minister   

We can remove Tinubu from power in 2027 — Former Buhari’s Minister

 

 

 

Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that the Nigerian opposition has the capacity to remove President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from office in the 2027 general elections.

 

Amaechi, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, made the statement during an event held in Abuja on Saturday to commemorate his 60th birthday.

 

He spoke on the theme “Weaponisation of poverty as a means of underdevelopment: A case study of Nigeria.”

 

In a candid and critical speech, Amaechi revealed that although he was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 presidential election, he neither supported nor voted for President Tinubu.

 

“I met President Tinubu in Yola and I told him I will not work for you and I will not vote for you,” Amaechi disclosed. “People have been saying I do not work for APC or PDP. That is because I was convinced that there was an issue of capacity.”

 

He went further to accuse Nigerian leaders, past and present, of neglecting the poor and using poverty as a tool to control the populace.

 

“Let me tell you, no Nigerian leader cares for the poor, because they know that Nigerians can do nothing to them once they are in power,” Amaechi said. “When Nigerians protested, the President announced an increase in the price of fuel because they know you cannot do anything.”

 

Speaking to the potential of opposition forces to unseat the current administration, Amaechi stated, “If you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him. We want to submit to the opposition if the opposition can lead us out of this problem. But for the opposition to lead, we must put the nation’s interest first.”

 

He also took aim at government spending priorities, particularly on the issue of subsidy removal, questioning the transparency of how savings from subsidy cuts have been used.

 

“We were paying N4-5 trillion on fuel subsidy. Now that the subsidy is gone, where is the money? Imagine if they had dumped it into the economy — would average Nigerians not feel the impact?” he queried.

 

Amaechi linked rising insecurity to deepening poverty, saying, “Insecurity is 99 per cent poverty. When I was governor, and insecurity rose, I directed my commissioner for finance to release money and pay salaries. Insecurity reduced. It’s about poverty.”

 

He concluded with a stark reminder of the nation’s current hardships: “Now you have a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Let the Muslim-Muslim market come out now. It’s time. We are all hungry. All of us are. If you are not hungry, I am.”

 

Amaechi’s remarks have sparked reactions across political lines, signaling a potential shift in the 2027 political landscape as dissatisfaction with the current administration continues to grow.