A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has criticised Nigerians for being too passive in the face of worsening hardship.
Amaechi said the country needs a bold and radical shift to bring about change.
He stated this on Thursday in Abuja during the public launch of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey by the Africa Polling Institute.
Amaechi lamented the state of the nation and blamed citizens for allowing a small group of elites to dominate the country.
“The elites who are stealing Nigerian money are not up to 100,000, but you have 200 million Nigerians who can fight them.
“You sit down in your house and complain and grumble. The elites know you’re not happy. But you made yourself helpless.
“Nigeria is the most docile society I’ve seen in my life. Any revolution without blood is a failure,” he said.
Amaechi warned that without mass involvement and real sacrifice, President Bola Tinubu would return to power in 2027.
“The only way you can stop Tinubu is to run an election of Nigerians versus the bandits,” he said.
The former governor of Rivers State also revealed that he had officially resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress, adding that he had long distanced himself from the party’s activities.
He also knocked the current political leadership, claiming things were better under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “I left APC last night. I warned them not to invite me to any meeting again.
“People want Buhari back because things were better during his time. Look at the exchange rate. Then it was about ₦460 to a dollar; now it’s over ₦1,500.”
According to Amaechi, inflation and hunger are at crisis levels, and the government seems focused on consolidating power rather than helping citizens.
“Any government that doesn’t consider the people is not worth it,” he added.
He expressed disappointment with how labour unions and student bodies have lost their voices.
He stated, “In the past, ASUU, NLC and NANS could shut down the government with coordinated protests. Now NLC can’t even mobilise. Why? Ethnicity.”
Drawing on his experience as a governor, he noted that economic decline always leads to rising crime, saying, “Once robbery and kidnapping increase, I know there’s no money in circulation. Once people are paid, they spend money, and the crime rate drops.”
Amaechi also admitted he considered leaving the country but was talked out of it by his wife.
“I wanted to japa, but my wife said Nigeria is still lovely,” he said.
