Leadnaija
The Presidency has described the recent criticisms by former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as nothing more than the desperation of a politician driven by a thirst for power rather than concern for Nigerians.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, described Amaechi’s comments as lacking genuine concern for the country.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, had in a recent interview with BBC, stated that Tinubu must be challenged and ultimately removed if Nigeria is to emerge from its worsening economic crisis.
Painting a bleak picture of life under the Tinubu’s administration, Amaechi said, “People are dying. People are starving. I am also feeling the effects of hunger.”
He also hinted at forming a new opposition coalition to “rescue the country.”
However, Bwala dismissed the remarks as insincere and hypocritical, accusing the former minister of exploiting the nation’s challenges for personal political gain.
Bwala said, “Amaechi’s obsession with Tinubu suggests that this is not about policies, it is personal. If you’re truly interrogating policies and issues, your mind must be open.
If Tinubu solves the problems, he should stay. If not, voters will decide. We’re just two years in.”
The lawyer stated that Amaechi’s credibility was questionable given his past ambitions and actions.
“He contested the APC presidential ticket while still serving as minister and lost to Tinubu. Since then, he has distanced himself from party activities. If he truly cared about Nigeria’s future, he would have supported the party’s candidate once the primaries were over. That he didn’t shows it is not about the people—it’s about his own political future,” he stated.
The presidential aide also questioned Amaechi’s claim of experiencing hunger.
“He has been a Speaker, a two-term governor, and a powerful minister. If just two years after leaving office he says he is hungry, then he either mismanaged resources or he is trying to manipulate Nigerians. That alone disqualifies him from being trusted to manage the country’s affairs,” he added.
Bwala added that public figures with genuine concern for the masses would show it through their actions, not just rhetoric.
“When he celebrated his birthday, did he visit IDP camps or the poor he claims to fight for? No. He gathered political allies plotting to unseat a sitting president. That tells you everything.
“If you are genuinely concerned about Nigeria, don’t politicise the pain of the people. Offer solutions, not power grabs.”
He warned Nigerians to be wary of politicians who use the people’s suffering as a political tool.
