The Vice Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s policies contributed to the death of his mother.
The former Rivers State Governor said this in an interview monitored on Channels Television.
Amaechi said his mother was healthy before Tinubu assumed office, adding that he later struggled to afford the drugs she needed due to the economic hardship associated with the President’s policies.
The ADC vice-presidential candidate said the removal of the fuel subsidy was supposed to improve Nigerians’ living conditions but instead worsened hardship.
“The policies Tinubu introduced are killing people. I lost my mother because of the policies. We have lost people. President Tinubu’s policies killed my mother.
“Before Tinubu became President, my mother was healthy. Suddenly, when Tinubu came, it became difficult to buy drugs for my mother. I did the best I could in taking care of my mother,” Amaechi added.
Speaking further, he challenged President Tinubu’s administration over the rising cost of living, saying the removal of fuel subsidy without adequate measures to cushion its effects has made life more difficult for Nigerians.
He offered to withdraw as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and campaign for Tinubu if petrol sells for N600 per litre by Saturday.
“Don’t bother about my views, I will go tomorrow morning to a petrol station myself so that you can see. If fuel has come down to N600 I will campaign for President Tinubu. If fuel comes down tomorrow to N600 I will campaign for President Tinubu.
“Tomorrow, if you are doubtful come with your camera tomorrow in the morning and I will go to a filling station and I will buy fuel, if it comes down to this thing, I Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will withdraw as the vice presidential candidate of Atiku and campaign for President Tinubu if it has come down,” Amaechi said.
He also framed the 2027 presidential election as a choice between life and death, arguing that Nigerians have only one choice to make if they want to remain alive. According to him, “Tinubu represents the choice of death.”
Amaechi also accused President Tinubu’s administration of being more corrupt than that of his predecessor, late Muhammadu Buhari, arguing that the scale of corruption under the current government was more glaring.
According to the former Rivers State governor, comparing the two administrations would give the impression that there was little or no corruption under Buhari.
“If you compare the two you will think there was no corruption under Buhari’s government,” he said.
“(Corruption under Buhari) not as bad as this (under Tinubu). You know the difference? The difference is that when you are corrupt you hide it, but these people are not hiding it, it’s so glaring.”
Asked whether he was part of the corruption he alleged took place under Buhari, having served in the former president’s administration as Minister of Transportation, Amaechi denied being corrupt.
“I will say it again and again, I will not near corruption, I will not get close to corruption,” he added.
Amaechi also faulted Tinubu’s administration over its record on infrastructure, arguing that there was no basis for comparing its performance with Buhari’s government in terms of project delivery.
He challenged the current administration to name a project it had completed since assuming office, citing the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and its reported cost as an example.
“The only thing you can judge us and look at it is about governance, but in terms of being able to do projects here and there, let this government show one thing they have done, including the so-called Coastal Road that I hear is N33 trillion,