Rotimi Amaechi slams Nigerians for passivity, urging mass resistance to elite dominance and warning that silence will return Tinubu to power in 2027
Rotimi Amaechi slams Nigerians for passivity as the country battles deepening economic hardship, warning that silence and fear will only empower elite rulers further.
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The former Minister of Transportation made this statement on Thursday in Abuja during the official launch of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey conducted by the Africa Polling Institute.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, accused the Nigerian people of allowing a tiny circle of elites to dominate and exploit the system while the vast majority remain inactive.
“The elites who are stealing Nigerian money are not up to 100,000, but you have 200 million Nigerians who can fight them,” he said. “You sit down in your house and grumble. You made yourself helpless.”
He described Nigeria as the “most docile society” he had ever witnessed, suggesting that only a revolutionary mindset can shift the power balance in the country.
“Any revolution without blood is a failure,” he added, insisting that passive complaints will not bring about real change.
Amaechi also warned that President Bola Tinubu will likely be re-elected in 2027 unless Nigerians take collective action.
“The only way you can stop Tinubu is to run an election of Nigerians versus the bandits,” he said.
In a major political move, Amaechi announced his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“I left APC last night. I warned them not to invite me to any meeting again,” he said.
He criticised the Tinubu-led administration and argued that things were better under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“People want Buhari back because things were better during his time. Look at the exchange rate—then it was ₦460 to a dollar; now it’s over ₦1,500,” he noted.
According to Amaechi, inflation and widespread hunger are at crisis levels.
He criticised the government for prioritising political power over people’s welfare. “Any government that doesn’t consider the people is not worth it,” he said.
He also expressed disappointment in labour unions and student groups, accusing them of losing their impact due to ethnic divisions.
“In the past, ASUU, NLC and NANS could shut down the government with coordinated protests. Now NLC can’t even mobilise. Why? Ethnicity,” he observed.
Amaechi warned that rising robbery and kidnapping rates signal economic failure. “Once robbery and kidnapping increase, I know there’s no money in circulation,” he said.
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Despite his frustration, he admitted he briefly considered relocating abroad. “I wanted to japa, but my wife said Nigeria is still lovely,” he concluded.
