Former Rivers State Governor and 2027 presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi, has called for a shift away from ethnic and regional politics, insisting that Nigerians should assess political leaders based on their performance in office rather than their place of origin.
Amaechi made the remarks while addressing journalists after his presidential screening under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as aired by Symfoni TV from 3:02 on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Speaking on the future of the country, the former governor said national development should take precedence over sectional interests, particularly in critical sectors such as education and healthcare. “So I’m 60. So if you’re asking what I have in mind for us, it’s not what you have in mind for the youth, it’s what you have in mind for Nigeria,” Amaechi said.
The former Minister of Transportation expressed concern over the state of education in the country, arguing that the system had become heavily divided along economic lines. “Look at education. Nigeria has effectively broken education into two, for the rich and for the poor. The rich go to private schools, the poor go to public schools,” he stated.
Amaechi urged Nigerians to evaluate political leaders based on their records in office rather than political rhetoric or regional affiliation. “Again, I always say, please make this a referendum. All of us have held one position or the other. Let’s go back to the positions we served and assess us by that,” he said.
Reflecting on policies implemented during his time in office, Amaechi pointed to reforms in the healthcare sector, particularly the funding of primary healthcare centres.
“So we paid money to the primary healthcare centres based on the number of patients we saw. And then they used that money to run the health centres,” he explained. “So assess us by what we have done and reach a conclusion,” he added.
Amaechi also criticized the growing emphasis on ethnic and regional identity in Nigerian politics, insisting that citizenship should take precedence over indigene status. “All I’m hearing is, ‘I’m from the North, I’m from the South, I’m from the East.’ I’m not from the South or East or West. I’m a Nigerian,” he stated.
The former governor further declared that if elected president, his administration would prioritize national unity and equal citizenship. “If I become president, there will no be indigene-ship. There will be citizenship. We are first and foremost citizens of Nigeria. All this, ‘I’m West, I’m North, I’m East,’” he said….Read_More…