ENGR. TAIWO ABIODUN
Listening to Rotimi Amaechi’s recent remarks was not only disappointing—it was profoundly embarrassing. That such words could come from someone of his political pedigree only deepens the shame. Even more baffling is the fact that some still perceive him as a political savior or elder statesman.
Let’s be reminded: this is a 60-year-old man who spent eight years as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, followed by another eight years as Governor of Rivers State, and yet another eight years as Minister of Transport under the Buhari administration. That’s 24 uninterrupted years in the corridors of power—two and a half decades of influence, access, and decision-making authority.
And yet, with all that experience, Amaechi had the temerity to utter words so self-indicting, they betray not just a lack of introspection but a stunning disregard for public memory.
Even more ironic is that this is the same man who, alongside others, orchestrated the political campaign that brought Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015—a government whose economic mismanagement and divisive leadership have left Nigeria in its most vulnerable state since 1999. That Amaechi could now speak with such detachment from the consequences of that government’s failures is nothing short of audacious.
It’s almost surreal to recall that Amaechi once boasted about protesting against Buhari’s military regime as a university student, only to become one of the most prominent ministers in Buhari’s civilian government—an administration that left Nigeria reeling under record inflation, weakened institutions, and economic stagnation. To think I once supported Buhari fills me with deep regret.
The contradictions are glaring. How can someone who has been a core player in the policies and politics that led us here now speak as though he was a mere bystander?
What is most frustrating, however, is not just Amaechi’s statement, but the willingness of some to cheer it—either out of blind loyalty or wilful amnesia. It reflects the broader tragedy of our political culture: the recycling of narratives by those who should be held accountable, and the applause of the very people who suffer from their misrule.
I genuinely wish there were a platform where people like Amaechi could be intellectually challenged—publicly, directly, and robustly. Not out of spite, but in defense of reason, truth, and national memory. Because if we don’t confront these revisionist tendencies, we will keep enabling a political class that fails forward—again and again.
Amaechi may have left office in 2023, but already he speaks with the arrogance of a man detached from the consequences of his decisions. And perhaps that is the most tragic part of it all: the shamelessness of a man who helped write the script for today’s hardship, yet stands outside the stage pretending to be a critic.
History, however, is watching.
– Engr. Taiwo Abiodun, PhD, DBA.
A specialist in common sense, evidence, and high-grade foolishness detection.