Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has claimed that Nigeria’s political climate would be very different today if his generation of governors were still in power, stating that he and former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido would have openly confronted President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Tuesday, May 13, in Abuja at the launch of Lamido’s autobiography Being True to Myself, Amaechi reflected on what he described as a more assertive and principled era of governance.
“I asked Lamido this morning if what’s happening in Nigerian politics today would have happened during our time as governors. He said no, and I agree,” Amaechi said. “We would have confronted the government and the president. That’s the kind of radical approach we had.”
Amaechi, who once chaired the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), recalled the bold stance many governors took during his tenure, often challenging the federal government and pushing for reforms. He acknowledged both cooperation and conflict in his relationship with Lamido, saying, “We were good friends in government, but we had our disagreements. I mistakenly thought he was as radical as I was, and often leaned on him during tough decisions.”
He also revisited the political split that occurred when a group of governors, including himself, broke away from then-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and joined the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC). Lamido, however, chose a different path and later aligned with the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
According to Amaechi, their generation of leaders was driven by conviction and a refusal to be cowed by executive overreach.
Amaechi didn’t hold back in criticizing President Tinubu’s handling of the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State. He accused Tinubu of using federal influence to manipulate local politics, calling it a “brazen attempt” to secure political loyalty ahead of the 2027 elections.
He further alleged that Tinubu was pressuring governors through federal institutions to fall in line and support his re-election ambitions.