Ismaeel Aleem
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sharply rebuked former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi over his call for Nigerians to mobilise and defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections, labelling the remark “political hallucination” and “well-deserved contempt.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, APC spokesman Seye Oladejo dismissed Amaechi’s ambitions, asserting that a politician rejected in his home state lacks the credibility to spearhead a national uprising.
“Amaechi is free to dream, but he must stop mistaking his nightmares for national reality,” Oladejo declared.
He described Amaechi as a “political orphan” – disowned in Rivers State, irrelevant nationally, and sliding into oblivion.
“In Rivers today, mentioning Amaechi’s name in political discussions is viewed as a provocative joke,” the statement read.
“A man who has lost his structure, his followers, and his voice has suddenly found the courage to lecture Nigerians on how to ‘mobilise’.”
Oladejo questioned the former minister’s influence: “Mobilise who? The few loyalists left in his WhatsApp group? Politicians who abandoned him the moment he lost the presidential primaries? The same Rivers electorate that no longer take him seriously?”
He emphasised that Amaechi, declared a political non-grata in his home state, cannot credibly lead a national movement when “your own backyard has padlocked the gate against you.”
The response highlights deepening tensions within the APC, with Amaechi’s recent criticisms of the Tinubu administration apparently widening internal rifts.
Once a key party figure and two-term Rivers governor, Amaechi has become increasingly isolated since his defeat in the 2023 APC presidential primaries.
The Lagos APC urged focus on governance rather than divisive rhetoric, reaffirming unwavering support for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
