Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused Nigerian politicians of getting away with corruption, violence, and power retention due to the short memory of the Nigerian people.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, made the statement during a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development in Abuja.
Amaechi claimed that Nigerian politicians are only interested in stealing, maiming, and killing to remain in power.
He pointed out that Nigerians’ lack of collective action and willingness to defend their votes is the reason politicians continue to operate with impunity.
He said that Nigerians are not ready to make any sacrifice, not even to defend their votes.
Amaechi said. “That’s why politicians get away with everything.”
He compared the Nigerian political climate with that of Ghana, where citizens were willing to make sacrifices to protect their democracy.
He said before Ghana’s last election, people were ready to die for their democracy. But in Nigeria, people are only good at talking, abusing everyone, without taking action.
Amaechi also took a shot at Nigerian leaders, particularly President Bola Tinubu, stating that those who expect change from him are “wasting their time.”
He explained that Nigerians must understand the political system is designed to keep the powerful in charge, and anyone hoping for a miracle to bring power to the people will be disappointed.
Reflecting on his political journey, Amaechi said he has been part of Nigeria’s political system since graduating from university in 1987.
He admitted that poverty drove him into politics but remains critical of how the system operates. “Unfortunately, poverty has made me part of this process, but it has shown me that the ruling party cannot wish me away with APC’s information,” he stated.
Amaechi also recalled his opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said that the party only gave power to the opposition when they demonstrated a readiness to fight for it. “When Jonathan saw we were willing to die for it, he gave us power,” he said.
According to Amaechi, “All we have here is typical Nigerians, typical Nigerians and you are clapping; that’s why politicians get away with everything, get away with murder because you have short memory, short memory.
“None of you here seated can defend the votes, you have complained, complained, Nigerians have clapped for you. The only way Shekarau became governor, do you know what helped? Because people lined up when they asked how many people were there, they said almost five hundred thousand.
“They said I would keep 500, announced Shekarau. It happened in Ghana, before the election of the last president. For two days, a lot of them were called to intervene. But why did they do that?
“The people are ready to die, you are talking about abusing everybody, nobody has power that will give it to you, nobody, not even me.”
The former minister continued, “If you want a pastor as president, go and get one, the politician is there in Nigeria to steal, maim, to kill, to remain in power. If you think Tinubu will give it to you, you are wasting your time.
“So when we speak, we forget history. Unfortunately for me, poverty has made me to be part of the political system from when I left university. I left the university in 1987 and I have been part of the process till today.
“You can’t wish me away with the information of APC, you certainly can’t wish me away. You can’t wish me away in how APC won the election, you can’t.
“But the truth is that if some of us did not stick at our neck and say PDP, Good luck we want to die with you… When they saw that we were ready to die, what did they do? They gave us power.
“We have sa weet mouth, we talk about, we repeat it every day, tomorrow they will call you in Lagos you will go. Somebody told me in Lagos, ‘Look, Mr Amaechi, I said sir. You see these people that gathered here, we called them, transport, this this this, they came. If Tinubu comes with the same transport fare tomorrow, they will also come.’ And the final example is when we were pushing when APC was registered and I’m I was scared that they might rig us out.
“So I got a party to agree that we must carry out a demonstration. We agreed that we would carry out a demonstration, we assembled at Eagle Square. We released some money to go and bring women and all that. I walked in, one thing about me is that I will go early to know what is going in before people come.”
“See the women gathered, guest what they are wearing? Jonathan for president,” he added.
