A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has asserted that he and former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido would have challenged President Bola Tinubu over the nation’s current state of affairs had they still been in office.
Amaechi made this statement in Abuja on Tuesday during the public presentation of Lamido’s autobiography, Being True to Myself. The former governor of Rivers State emphasized that their era was characterized by bold opposition and a steadfast commitment to holding the Federal Government accountable.
“I asked you, Lamido, this morning about the current situation in Nigerian politics—would it have happened when we were governors? You said no, and the answer is indeed no,” Amaechi remarked.
He added, “We would have confronted the government and the president. That’s how radical we were. That’s how our Governors Forum operated. We were determined to instigate change.”
Reflecting on his political relationship with Lamido, Amaechi noted that they were allies during their time in government, but their paths diverged over strategies in opposing then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We were quite good friends in government, though we had our disagreements. I mistakenly assumed he was as radical as I was. He was one of the governors I relied on for bold decisions,” Amaechi explained.
He continued, “The last major decision we made together was to oppose President Jonathan. We formed a committee of governors and others, but ultimately, he chose to join a new party, the SDP. We felt that moving to the SDP would jeopardize our chances in the election, so we decided to stay with the APC. That disagreement marked our parting of ways.”
