Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has praised former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for displaying political courage by refusing to withdraw from the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in favor of President Bola Tinubu.
Soyinka made the remarks in Abuja on Saturday during Amaechi’s 60th birthday celebration. Amaechi, who served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, was commended by Soyinka for his defiance and determination during the party’s primary contest.
“The main reason I’m here today is because I admire Amaechi’s fighting spirit,” Soyinka said. “It’s something he has consistently shown, but what stood out to me most was his stance during the APC primaries — an event I watched live from Abu Dhabi.”
He described the experience of watching the primaries as both dramatic and satisfying. “It gave me a certain mischievous pleasure to see the then-aspiring president being treated to a taste of his own medicine,” Soyinka remarked.
Soyinka drew a parallel between Amaechi’s resolve and that of Bola Tinubu during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. He recalled how Tinubu resisted Obasanjo’s alleged attempt to secure a third term by undermining the autonomy of states.
“At that time, Tinubu was the last man standing,” Soyinka noted. “Despite pressure and unconstitutional tactics like withholding state allocations, he stood firm. And during the APC primaries, Amaechi gave Tinubu a reminder of what that resistance feels like.”
He applauded Amaechi for refusing to step down like others. “While many were quick to concede, one man stood his ground. He got on the podium and declared, ‘I didn’t come all the way here to back down.’ That was Rotimi Amaechi. To me, that is the essence of democracy.”
In the 2022 APC presidential primary, Tinubu emerged victorious with 1,271 votes. Amaechi came second with 316 votes, while then-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo finished third with 235 votes.