By Eric Eneh
In a remarkably candid statement at his 60th birthday celebration in Abuja, former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, offered a searing critique of Nigeria’s current political and economic climate. His declaration that President Bola Tinubu’s hold on power is vulnerable cut through the guarded caution that typically marks political discourse:
“We are all hungry. All of us are. If you are not hungry, I am. So, for us in the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power (Tinubu), we can remove him from this power.”
More than a personal lament, Amaechi’s words were an unvarnished acknowledgment of the widespread hunger and discontent gripping Nigeria today—a sentiment that transcends partisan politics and speaks to the heart of the nation’s deepening crisis. His blunt admission is a potent reminder that in a democracy, legitimacy is never fully secure when the basic needs of the populace are left unmet.
Reflecting on his days as a student activist during the military regimes of Generals Babangida and Buhari, Amaechi evoked a nostalgic sense of unity that once animated the Nigerian youth. Back then, he recalled, there was no “North and South” dividing the student movements—no ethnic or regional boundaries strong enough to suppress their collective yearning for justice.
“Back then, there was no North and South among us,” Amaechi reminisced, underscoring the camaraderie that once bound Nigerian students in a shared purpose.
This sense of unity, he lamented, has eroded over the decades. Ethnic and regional divisions, alongside partisan rivalries, have replaced the solidarity that once drove young Nigerians to the streets in defiance of oppression. His critique is both a challenge and an opportunity: a challenge to a generation that seems to have lost its revolutionary spirit, and an opportunity for the opposition to rediscover and rekindle that sense of national purpose.
Amaechi’s declaration signals the emergence of a new phase of political contestation in Nigeria. Historically, hunger and economic hardship have been the fertile ground from which transformative political movements have sprung. Today, as Tinubu’s administration grapples with economic stagnation, rampant insecurity, and deep public disillusionment, these same forces are again stirring the political pot.
For the opposition, Amaechi’s message is unequivocal: the conditions for change are already present. But translating this widespread anger into a coherent and unified political movement will demand more than slogans—it will require rising above entrenched tribal loyalties and partisan fractures to articulate a genuine alternative.
Indeed, Amaechi’s call to action doubles as a stark warning to those in power: dismiss the cries of the hungry and the disillusioned at your peril. If Tinubu’s government fails to heed these warning signs and continues to neglect the basic needs of the people, the political tide may well turn.
As Nigeria wrestles with its economic and social challenges, Amaechi’s intervention underscores the urgent need for leadership that prioritizes the welfare of ordinary citizens. Whether the opposition can rise to this challenge and forge a credible path forward remains to be seen.
One thing, however, is certain: the days of passive governance are numbered. If Tinubu’s administration fails to address the hunger and frustration simmering across the country, Amaechi’s prophecy—that the opposition can remove the man in power—may soon become a self-fulfilling reality.
