Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that only determined civic action by Nigerians can prevent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from returning to power in the 2027 general elections. According to him, wishful thinking and passive discontent will not bring about meaningful political change.

 

Amaechi made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during the public presentation of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey Report, conducted by the Africa Polling Institute.

 

“The only way you can stop Tinubu from being the president of Nigeria in 2027 is to run an election of Nigerians versus the bandits,” he said.

“If you think you will just sit down and do that, may God be with you.”

 

 

 

‘Elites Know You’re Angry, But You Made Yourself Helpless’

 

The former Rivers State governor criticised what he called the docility of Nigerian citizens, despite widespread dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

 

“The elites who are stealing Nigerian money are not up to 100,000, but you have 200 million Nigerians who can fight 100,000 men,” he said.

“They know you are not happy. But you are helpless, not because the elites made you helpless, you made yourself helpless.”

 

 

 

Citing mass protests in countries like Bangladesh, Peru, and Kenya, Amaechi argued that political transformation rarely occurs without public confrontation.

 

 

“Any revolution without blood is a failure,” he said bluntly, lamenting that Nigeria remains one of the most docile societies he has ever witnessed.

 

 

 

‘I Wanted to Japa — But My Wife Said No’

 

In a rare personal revelation, Amaechi said he had considered leaving the country due to its current trajectory.

 

“I told my wife, I want to Japa like you people do. They will give me official visa to stay in any country.

She said, ‘No, we can’t leave Nigeria.’ Because Nigeria is lovable. It’s lovely.”

 

 

 

‘Even NLC Can’t Mobilize Anymore’

 

Amaechi also criticised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other civil groups, stating that ethnic and political divisions have weakened their ability to hold government accountable.

 

“There was a time when NANS, ASUU, and NLC acted together. Now NLC can’t even mobilize. I told them I’d join the protest. They said they can’t,” he lamented.

“Nigeria is totally collapsed.”

 

 

 

He added that the political class has outperformed the military in terms of bad governance.

 

“We pushed away the military and brought in the politicians. The politicians have shown they are worse than the military.”

 

 

 

Socioeconomic Distress and Crime: A Governor’s Perspective

 

Sharing insights from his time as governor, Amaechi said he used crime rates as an indicator of economic distress.

 

“When robbery and kidnapping rise, I know there’s no money. So I tell the Finance Commissioner to pay debts, contractors, workers. Then people spend, the money circulates, and the crime rate drops.”

 

 

 

Survey Shows Nigerians Losing Faith in Government

 

The Executive Director of the Africa Polling Institute, Professor Bell Ihua, unveiled key findings from the 2025 survey, showing massive public distrust in state institutions:

 

83% of Nigerians distrust the Tinubu-led federal government

 

80% distrust the National Assembly

 

79% distrust the judiciary

 

 

 

 

“This report carries very telling information,” Prof. Ihua stated.

“Citizens are united in shared struggle based on economic realities. The government needs to act on this data to rebuild public confidence.”

 

 

 

He urged policymakers to treat the findings not as criticism, but as an opportunity to reorient governance toward the people.