Toyyibat Qasim
African Democratic Congress presidential running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said his 23 years of experience across the legislative and executive arms of government give him extensive exposure to governance at both state and federal levels.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, made the claim on Friday while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he also defended his record against allegations of corruption.
According to him, his experience in government includes eight years as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, eight years as governor and nearly eight years as a minister.
Amaechi argued that his cumulative experience in government exceeded the period President Bola Tinubu had spent in public office before becoming President.
He said, “I have been a Speaker for eight years, I have been a governor for eight years, that is 16 years more than the President with all respect to him, and I have been a minister for nearly another eight years.
“So for 23 years I have been in government and I have passed through government, all the states and federal, so I can discuss some of these issues more than the President before he became President.
“Now he is President and he has more knowledge because all the things are with him.”
Tinubu previously served as governor of Lagos State and later as a senator before becoming President in 2023.
Amaechi also addressed corruption allegations, declaring that he had remained in politics for decades without being convicted of corruption.
The former minister said he had been involved in politics since 1987 and challenged anyone with evidence of corruption against him to produce it.
“Have you asked yourself why they are finding it difficult to arrest me and I have been in politics since 1987?” he asked.
“I read literature. I’m not an accountant; I don’t know how to keep money.
“I am waiting for the person that will prove that I am corrupt. Have you asked why they are finding it difficult to arrest me? And I’ve been in politics since 1987.”
Amaechi further alleged that corruption under the present administration was worse than during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Corruption then is not as bad as this,” he said, adding that the difference, in his view, was that corruption had become more visible.
“If you are corrupt, you hide it, but these people are not hiding it, it’s so glaring,” he alleged.
The ADC chieftain also weighed in on fuel pricing, arguing that substantially lower petrol prices in Nigeria could create incentives for cross-border smuggling.
According to him, any assessment of domestic fuel consumption should take into account the possibility that cheaper petrol could be moved out of the country illegally for profit.
“Let’s take it, if you audit the consumption of fuel you go below N700,000. The reason why there is an increase in that is that if the price is cheap here, some will try to smuggle,” he said.
