EDO, Nigeria — African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has launched a verbal attack on President Bola Tinubu, declaring that only people he described as “mad” would vote for the president in the 2027 general election.
Amaechi made the remarks during a town hall meeting in Edo State on Thursday, where he urged residents to reject Tinubu and support the ADC in the forthcoming presidential election, reports Daily Trust.
The former Minister of Transportation, who also served as governor of Rivers State, questioned why Nigerians experiencing economic hardship would support the president for another term.
“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.
He went further, warning Edo residents against voting for the president, using the prospect of Tinubu’s electoral victory in the state to make his point.
“Because it’s only a 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,” he said.
The remarks reflect the ADC chieftain’s efforts to mobilise voters against the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 elections, with the opposition party seeking to make economic hardship and the cost of living central issues in its campaign.
Amaechi Questions Planned Ogun Seaport
Amaechi also criticised the Federal Government’s plans to develop another seaport in Ogun State, questioning whether the volume of goods produced in the state justified the proposed investment in port infrastructure.
He alleged that the decision was driven by financial interests rather than a careful assessment of the country’s broader economic priorities.
“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 are the goods we are 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 said.
Amaechi did not provide evidence to substantiate his allegation that the proposed project was motivated by personal financial interests.
He also urged Nigerians who wanted a change of government to return home and participate in the electoral process rather than remain outside the country while expecting a different political outcome.
“If you want Tinubu to go, please go home. Go home. Go home,” he said.
ADC Candidate Explains Proposed Production Subsidy
The ADC vice-presidential candidate also outlined his position on fuel pricing, advocating a production-linked subsidy arrangement that would support domestic refining rather than the previous system he criticised.
Under his proposal, locally operating refineries would obtain crude oil at a preferential domestic price, with the difference between that price and the international market price forming the basis of support for local refining.
Amaechi argued that the arrangement could reduce the cost of producing petrol and ultimately ease transportation expenses and the prices of other goods and services.
He said the proposed arrangement would not require the government to make direct subsidy payments, but would instead depend on a policy framework governing domestic crude oil pricing.
“When we bring back subsidy, it’s not that one that will produce rich men. That subsidy where rich men will go to Ghana and come back to say, ‘We have bought fuel for you’. We are bringing back a subsidy called Production subsidy. If you don’t have a refinery in Nigeria, you will not get subsidy. We don’t have to pay for it. Government will not pay for the subsidy. All the government needs to do is to make a policy,” he said.
Explaining the proposed pricing arrangement, Amaechi said domestic refiners could purchase crude oil at a lower price than the international market rate, with the difference providing the benefit intended to support local refining.
“The price at which I sell crude on the international market and price with which I sell crude in the Nigerian market will be different. I will do domestic pricing. If I sell crude at N15,000 on the international market, in Nigeria, I will sell to Dangote at N10,000. And here we have four modular refineries. The difference will be N5,000. I will then sit with Dangote and the modular refiners and tell them to give me a subsidy of N5,000. Once that happens, the price of fuel will come down. When the price of fuel comes down, the price of everything will go down,” he said.
Amaechi maintained that lowering domestic refining costs would help bring down petrol prices and reduce the broader economic burden on Nigerians.
His comments place fuel affordability, domestic refining and the economic policies of the Tinubu administration among the issues the ADC is highlighting as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election.
