Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) Vice Presidential Candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has identified insecurity, education and the economy as three major areas that must be addressed for Nigeria to make progress.

Amaechi also pledged to resign if Nigerians fail to begin feeling a positive change within one year of the ADC taking office.

He made the remarks during an interview on AIT while discussing the state of the Nigerian economy, poverty, insecurity and the political agenda of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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According to him, addressing the country’s major challenges would also require a significant reduction in corruption because, in his view, funds meant for development are being diverted into private pockets.

“You must deal with three things: You must deal with insecurity, you must deal with education, you must deal with the economy, before this country can progress,” Amaechi said.

He added: “And to do all that, corruption will have to come down because there is no money for anybody to steal. The reason why these things are not being done is that the money that would be used to fund these things are in private pockets.”

Amaechi also questioned what he described as the benefits Nigerians have received from the removal of fuel subsidy under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“What is the benefit—okay, let’s even say, okay, President Tinubu removed subsidy. What are the benefits of subsidy? The subsidy money is in private pockets, and they are celebrating,” he said.

The ADC vice presidential candidate further contrasted what he described as celebrations among some people in southern Nigeria with the hardship being experienced in parts of the North.

“That’s why you see people in the South throwing parties, then in the North, people are… people are dying,” he said.

Amaechi, however, clarified that he was not claiming that northern governors were completely excluded from the funds.

“I’m not saying some of the Northern governors don’t get the money, but I’m saying, you can see… First, you see, with the level of hunger… when they invite me to parties like this, I just sit down, I just spend 5-10 minutes in some of these parties, I don’t waste my time, because I sit down and ask myself: ‘Where are these people getting this money from?’”

He also pointed to what he described as the high level of poverty in the country while questioning Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished products.

“Going by how high poverty is in Nigeria… Now, we import over 46% of finished goods. Who are those importing it?” he asked.
Amaechi subsequently declared: “Nigeria is in trouble.”

He also referred to the public reaction to President Tinubu’s movements in Lagos, saying he had watched people hoot at the President while he was travelling from the Lagos International Airport to his residence.

“I watched people hoot at Tinubu from the… from the Lagos International Airport to his house,” Amaechi said.

He then argued that an ADC government would deliver a different experience for Nigerians.

“If we become president, nobody would do that. They will be clapping for us because we will change Nigeria,” he said.
Amaechi then made a direct pledge concerning the performance of an ADC administration.

“This time I’ve said it, if Nigeria does not begin to change one year after we have come into office, come to me, I will resign,” he declared.

He stressed that he was not promising that every problem in the country would be completely solved within one year, but insisted that Nigerians should be able to feel a noticeable difference.

“Yes, if Nigeria does not begin to change, I didn’t say Nigeria must change, everything must change but even you will feel the change. You will have a breath of fresh air,” Amaechi said.