Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has praised former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, for standing firm during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries in 2022, refusing to step down for Bola Tinubu, who eventually emerged as the party’s flag bearer.

 

Soyinka, speaking as Chairman at Amaechi’s 60th birthday celebration held in Abuja over the weekend, commended the former Minister of Transportation for demonstrating unwavering political courage.

 

“I admire Rotimi’s fighting spirit—it’s consistent. During the APC primaries, when everyone else was falling over themselves to step down and support Tinubu, Amaechi stood firm. That, to me, is what democracy is all about,” Soyinka said.

 

 

 

Amaechi was one of over 20 aspirants who contested the APC presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general elections. While several contenders withdrew and declared support for Tinubu—including influential figures—Amaechi, alongside former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Tunde Bakare, and Rochas Okorocha, stayed in the race to the end. Amaechi eventually finished second in the primaries.

 

Soyinka said he watched the event live from Abu Dhabi and was thrilled by the drama that unfolded.

 

“I watched the entire contest live from Abu Dhabi. It gave me a kind of mischievous pleasure seeing Tinubu get a dose of his own medicine. This is the same man who, during the Obasanjo era, resisted unconstitutional attempts to amend the constitution for a third term. He was the last man standing then. This time, Amaechi gave him the same treatment,” he recalled.

 

 

 

Soyinka drew parallels between Tinubu’s defiance during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged third-term agenda and Amaechi’s defiance in the 2022 primary, noting that both instances highlight the importance of courage in leadership.

 

“Tinubu, back then, resisted efforts to consolidate power at the centre, even when federal allocations were withheld from Lagos State. That made him the last man standing. Well, in 2022, Amaechi became the last man standing, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching that moment,” Soyinka added.

 

 

 

Amaechi, who has since distanced himself from the current administration, is reportedly part of a growing coalition positioning itself as a formidable opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Amaechi and Tinubu were key figures in the 2014–2015 APC coalition that ousted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and brought Muhammadu Buhari to power.