African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has said Nigerians who vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election would be acting irrationally, urging Edo residents to reject the president at the polls.
Amaechi made the remarks on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Edo State, where he called on residents to support the ADC and the opposition in the forthcoming presidential election.
“They are going about saying, ‘Vote Tinubu! Vote Tinubu!’ Only thieves can vote for Tinubu,” he said.
The former Minister of Transportation added that the 2027 election would reveal the level of support Tinubu enjoys among Nigerians, insisting that Edo residents should not vote for the president if they were dissatisfied with his administration.
“If Edo people vote for President Tinubu, that means Edo people are mad. If you’re not mad, Tinubu should not win here,” Amaechi said.
He also accused the Tinubu administration of prioritising projects allegedly driven by financial interests over investments that would address the economic needs of Nigerians.
Amaechi specifically questioned the planned development of another seaport in Ogun State, asking whether the state generates enough goods and cargo to justify additional port infrastructure.
He argued that the proposed project was motivated by the financial benefits its construction could provide rather than a genuine commitment to the welfare of residents.
“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?” he asked.
The ADC candidate further urged opposition supporters to remain in Nigeria and participate in the electoral process, warning that staying away would not help achieve a change of government.
“If you want Tinubu to go, please go home. Go home. Go home,” he said.
Amaechi Proposes Production Subsidy
On fuel pricing, Amaechi advocated a production subsidy model that would lower the cost of crude oil supplied to domestic refineries, rather than restore the previous subsidy arrangement.
He argued that the government could introduce a domestic pricing policy under which crude oil sold to Nigerian refineries would cost less than crude sold on the international market.
According to him, the price difference would serve as a subsidy to local refiners, including the Dangote Refinery and modular refineries operating in the country.
“When we bring back subsidy, it’s not that one that will produce rich men,” Amaechi said, arguing that his proposed arrangement would be tied to domestic refining.
He explained that if crude oil sold internationally for N15,000 were supplied to domestic refiners at N10,000, the N5,000 difference could form the basis of the proposed production subsidy.
Amaechi said the arrangement would require a government policy rather than direct government expenditure on fuel subsidies.
He further argued that reducing fuel prices through domestic crude pricing would lower transportation and production costs, potentially bringing down the prices of goods and services.
The proposal forms part of Amaechi’s broader criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies as the opposition begins positioning itself ahead of the 2027 general election.
