Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has said that Nigeria’s political system would be very different if he and other former governors were still in office. He believes he and former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido would have boldly stood against President Bola Tinubu.

Amaechi made this statement on Tuesday, May 13, in Abuja. He was speaking during the launch of Lamido’s autobiography, Being True to Myself.

He mentioned that he asked Lamido earlier that morning whether the things happening now in Nigerian politics could have happened when they were governors. Lamido said no, and Amaechi agreed. According to Amaechi, they would have spoken up against the president and challenged the system. He said their time as governors was full of bold actions and a strong desire for change.

Amaechi, who was the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) during Lamido’s second term, shared how active and fearless they were in politics. Even though he and Lamido were close allies, they sometimes had disagreements. Amaechi said he believed Lamido was just as bold as he was, and that’s why he often looked to him during difficult political moments.

He also talked about a time when some governors broke away from former President Goodluck Jonathan. Amaechi and some others joined the new All Progressives Congress (APC), while Lamido stayed with the opposition and later moved to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He described that period as one driven by strong beliefs and the courage to stand against government pressure.

Amaechi didn’t hold back when talking about President Tinubu’s actions in Rivers State. He accused Tinubu of using his power at the federal level to interfere in state politics. Amaechi said this was part of a plan to force governors to support Tinubu for the 2027 elections. He believes the president is using government power to make governors follow him.