Vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, says he’ll resign from office if Nigeria fails to begin witnessing significant changes within one year of the party taking power if it wins in 2027.
Amaechi stated this in an interview on AIT’s Democracy Today, promising that an ADC administration would prioritise security, education and the economy.
“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,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor said public funds meant for critical sectors were being diverted into private hands, arguing that reducing corruption would free up resources to address the country’s challenges.
He also criticised the removal of fuel subsidy by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, questioning what benefits Nigerians had received 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.
Amaechi expressed concern over the contrast between widespread poverty and what he described as lavish spending at private parties, adding that he sometimes wondered where the money being spent came from.
“I sit down and ask myself, where are these people getting this money from, going by how high poverty is in Nigeria?” he said.
On the economy, he said Nigeria was heavily dependent on imported finished goods, claiming that more than 46 per cent of such goods were imported.
“Who are those importing? Nigeria is in trouble,” he said.
Amaechi also referred to reports of Nigerians booing President Tinubu on his arrival at the Lagos International Airport, saying an ADC administration would change the situation.
“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.
He then pledged to stake his position on the performance of an ADC administration, urging Nigerians to hold him accountable if there was no significant change within a year.
“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,” Amaechi said.
