Nigeria’s Politics Now Lacks Radical Opposition – Amaechi

Former Rivers State governor and ex-minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has criticized the current state of politics in Nigeria, saying the country now lacks the kind of bold opposition that once challenged those in power.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during the launch of former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido’s autobiography “Being True To Myself”, Amaechi reflected on what he called a lost era of political engagement.

“If the kind of politics we practiced back then was still alive, the situation in the country today would have been different,” Amaechi said. “I asked Lamido this morning, would what’s happening now in Nigerian politics have happened in our time? He said no — and the answer is no.”

Amaechi, who was chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) during Lamido’s tenure, said governors at the time openly challenged the federal government — including the presidency.

“We confronted the government. We confronted the president. That’s how radical we were. That was the spirit of our governors’ forum — determined and unafraid to demand change,” he said.

Amaechi also recounted disagreements with Lamido, including during his emergence as NGF chairman. Their political paths split during opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I thought Lamido was as radical as I was, so I leaned on him during some tough decisions,” Amaechi said. “But when we decided to oppose Jonathan and form a united front, he chose a different path. He left to form the SDP, while the rest of us stuck with APC. That was where we parted ways.”

Despite their differences, Amaechi said he would privately support the autobiography project as “one radical to another.

His remarks follow earlier criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State, which Amaechi described as an attempt to suppress opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

He has also voiced frustration over Nigerians’ muted response to economic challenges.

“There should be protests — not even against any specific person — but to tell politicians, ‘we’re tired, we won’t vote for you anymore,’” he said earlier this year.

According to Amaechi, Nigeria’s democracy needs leaders willing to speak out and take risks — as he and others once did.

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