The Vice Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that only “mad people” will cast their ballots for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Edo State on Thursday, Amaechi charged residents to reject Tinubu and support the opposition in the forthcoming polls.
“They are going about saying ‘Vote Tinubu! Vote Tinubu!’ Only thieves can vote for Tinubu. In fact, I read a comment on social media where someone said, ‘It’s in 2027 that we will know how many mad men we have in Nigeria,’” Amaechi said.
“Because it’s only mad people that can vote for Tinubu. If Edo people vote for President Tinubu, that means Edo people are mad. If you’re not mad, Tinubu should not win here.”
The former Minister of Transportation also accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing projects based on alleged financial interests rather than the broader economic needs of Nigerians.
Amaechi particularly questioned the planned development of another seaport in Ogun State, asking whether the state generates sufficient cargo to justify additional port infrastructure.
“So, Tinubu just hates you. No, I’m not joking. If Tinubu does not hate you, why is he building another seaport? In Ogun, what goods are we producing? What goods are we producing to have as many as that number of seaports? It is not because he likes Ogun people. It is the money he will make out of the construction.”
He warned opposition supporters against staying away from the electoral process while expecting a change in government.
“If you want Tinubu to go, please go home [to your constituencies]. Go home. Go home,” he urged.
Addressing the issue of fuel subsidies, the former minister proposed a shift in policy.
“When we bring back the subsidy, it won’t be the type that produces rich men—those who go to Ghana and come back to say, ‘We have bought fuel for you.’ We are bringing back what we call a ‘Production Subsidy.’ If you don’t have a refinery in Nigeria, you will not get a subsidy.”
He explained that the government would not need to pay cash for the subsidy, but would instead implement a policy of domestic pricing.
“The price at which I sell crude on the international market and the price at which I sell crude in the Nigerian market will be different. I will implement domestic pricing. If I sell crude at N15,000 on the international market, I will sell to Dangote at N10,000 in Nigeria. The difference will be N5,000.
“I will then sit with Dangote and the modular refiners and tell them to pass that N5,000 difference to the public as a subsidy. Once that happens, the price of fuel will come down. When the price of fuel comes down, the price of everything will go down.”
