African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed concern about the level of hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria, saying the country is in trouble.
NEWSNGR reports that Amaechi said the ADC would prioritise the economy, security and the fight against corruption if elected in 2027.
He made the remarks during an interview with AIT on Wednesday.
Amaechi argued that corruption remained a major obstacle to addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.
“You must deal with insecurity, economy, and corruption before this country can progress. And to do all that, corruption will have to come down because there is no money for anybody to steal,” he said.
He attributed the failure to adequately address some of the challenges to what he described as the diversion of public resources into private hands.
“The reason why these things are not being done is that the money used to fund these things is in private pockets. Tinubu removed subsidy, what are the benefits of subsidy when the money is in private pockets?” he asked.
The former governor also expressed concern about the contrast between the level of poverty in the country and the lavish spending he said was taking place in some quarters.
“That’s why you see people in the South holding private parties and in the North people are dying.
“With the level of hunger, when they invite me to private parties, I just sit down and wonder where they get the money from going by how high poverty is in Nigeria,” he said.
Amaechi also raised concerns about Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished products, saying the situation reflected the country’s economic difficulties.
He added, “We import over 46 per cent of finished goods; Nigeria is in trouble,” he said.
“I watched people boo Tinubu from the Lagos International airport to his house, if we become president nobody will do that, they will be clapping for us because we will change Nigeria,” Amaechi stated.
“This time I will say this: if Nigeria does not change one year after we get into office, come to me, and I will resign.”
