Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has warned that political corruption in Nigeria will persist unless citizens take a more active role in demanding accountability from leaders.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, Amaechi said politicians would continue to mismanage public resources if Nigerians fail to confront them over poor governance and alleged corruption.
He said he had made a similar remark years ago while serving as governor of Rivers State at an event organised by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, at Freedom House.
“As a governor of Rivers State at Freedom House in a ceremony organised by Prof Wole Soyinka, I told Nigerians that we, the politicians, will not stop stealing if Nigerians don’t stone us,” he recalled.
According to him, political leaders are largely responsible for the economic hardship facing citizens, although he noted that some governors have made positive contributions to governance.
“The politicians are impoverishing Nigerians. I’m a different politician, and there are others as well,” he said. “A lot of governors have made positive contributions. But governance is slowly dying, and it’s quite painful.”
Amaechi speaks on presidential ambition
Amaechi, who is seeking the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections, also argued that he is the most qualified aspirant in the party.
He said his experience in public office and relative age advantage place him ahead of other contenders in the race.
Among those also vying for the ADC ticket are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Northern Nigeria Development Company boss, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Amaechi listed his past roles, including Governor of Rivers State, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Minister of Transportation, as key experiences that prepare him for national leadership.
He maintained that those positions have given him the capacity to govern at the highest level.
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