Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has sparked debate with his recent remarks comparing the administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the current government led by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, July 3, Amaechi stated that although Buhari did not fulfill all his promises, his performance still surpasses that of the Tinubu-led administration “by all standards.”
“Not everything was achieved. Buhari will tell you that he did not achieve all that he planned for. But then, he was better than the current government by all standards,” the former Rivers State governor said during the interview.
Amaechi, who served under Buhari’s administration, particularly pointed to areas of national security and institutional independence as sectors where Buhari fared better than his successor.
“In terms of security, Buhari focused on it. In transportation, I’m open to a new challenge. Again, the independence of INEC was higher in Buhari’s government than now,” he noted.
He alleged that under Tinubu’s leadership, democratic institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are under pressure, citing the inability of some political groups to secure party registration due to interference.
“Now, they can’t even register a party because government officials are telling them not to. Those who applied to INEC for registration, their rents have expired,” Amaechi added.
While clarifying that his criticisms were not personal, Amaechi insisted he would readily commend President Tinubu if his administration were delivering on key fronts.
“If Tinubu was doing well, I’d be the first to sing his praises. I feel ashamed for a President commissioning 16 kilometres of road, that’s what a local government chairman should be doing,” he said.
On the economy, the former minister accused the Tinubu administration of worsening poverty and mismanaging funds saved from recent economic reforms.
“The current government has completely buried the economy. Any economy that does not put money in the pockets of individuals in Nigeria is not an economic policy,” Amaechi argued.
“You’re making savings from removing the subsidy, from floating the naira — where is the money? Where is it going?”