Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has ignited fresh controversy after a video surfaced online in which he declared: “The electorates and the Northern political elite are the problem of this Country.” The remark, circulating with the headline “The North is the problem of Nigeria,” comes just weeks after Amaechi told an ADC town hall in Benin City that only “thieves and mad people” would vote for President Bola Tinubu in 2027, adding: “If Edo people vote for Tinubu, that means Edo people are mad”.
The latest outburst has renewed scrutiny of Amaechi’s pattern of inflammatory statements. In early October, the All Progressives Congress (APC) mocked him for claiming he had become so broke that his wife was feeding him, and that he could not afford medication for his late mother at 89, claims the party said exposed his unfitness for the vice-presidency. FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has also urged INEC to sanction Amaechi over “irresponsible and inciting” remarks, calling him a “lunatic” who cannot be allowed to campaign without consequences.
Amaechi, who previously argued that Nigeria’s problem was its “followers” rather than its leaders, now blames voters and the northern political elite, a shifting target that critics say confirms his reputation for careless talk. The Presidency has described him as “a known careless and irresponsible talker” and “not a serious politician”.