Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that the opposition coalition has the capacity to remove President Bola Tinubu from power, citing widespread hunger as a rallying point for Nigerians.
Speaking during his 60th birthday celebration in Abuja, Amaechi emphasized the severity of the economic situation affecting citizens across the country.
"We are all hungry. All of us are. If you are not hungry, I am. So, for us the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power (Tinubu), we can remove him from this power," Amaechi stated.
Historical Precedent for Protest
The former Rivers State governor recalled his involvement in organizing nationwide student protests against former military leaders Ibrahim Babangida and Muhammadu Buhari, highlighting how students across regional divides united for a common cause.
"As students, we organized the Tai Solarin's protest against Babangida and we organized protest against Buhari – there was no North and South among the students," he recounted.
Amaechi detailed how these protests successfully mobilized students across major Nigerian universities including Ahmadu Bello University, University of Nigeria in Nsukka, and University of Lagos, with coordination meetings taking place in Kano.
Call for Unity
The former minister lamented the current divisive climate in Nigeria, contrasting it with the unity he witnessed during his student activism days.
"You would see a young handsome Northerner and Southerner feel free and eat the same kind of food, but today we have poisoned the minds of our young men. They can't even liberate themselves, we were able to liberate ourselves," Amaechi said.
His comments come amid growing economic challenges in Nigeria, with inflation and cost of living concerns affecting citizens across the country. The former minister's remarks suggest a potential consolidation of opposition forces against the current administration based on economic grievances.
Amaechi, who previously served under former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, has maintained a critical stance toward the current government, having earlier stated that he would not support or work with President Tinubu.
