'I’ll turn Nigeria around in four years' — Amaechi boasts of capacity to lead the country

• Amaechi says he can transform Nigeria within four years.

• The former minister officially submitted his presidential nomination forms.

• He asked Nigerians to judge candidates based on performance and experience.

• Amaechi criticised President Tinubu’s administration over worsening hardship.

Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has declared that he can “turn Nigeria around in four years” if elected president in 2027.

Amaechi made the statement after submitting his presidential nomination forms at the national headquarters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja.

The former governor of Rivers State said Nigerians should focus on competence, experience, and proven records when choosing the country’s next leader rather than ethnic or regional sentiments.

“What Nigerians should do is assess all of us who are running for office based on our records,” Amaechi said.

The former minister argued that his years in public office have prepared him to handle the country’s economic and governance challenges.

“I am young, I am the most experienced, and I believe I have the capacity,” he stated.

Amaechi pointed to his tenure as governor of Rivers State and later as minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari as evidence of his leadership abilities.

“Go back to Rivers State and see what I have done. Go back to the Ministry of Transportation and see what I have done, and assess it and see whether I can turn the country around,” he said.

“And I will, in four years, turn the country around.”

The former minister also criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, blaming current economic hardship on what he described as the “Emilokan mentality” — a reference to Tinubu’s famous campaign slogan ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

“It is the ‘Emilokan’ mentality that brought us here,” Amaechi stated.

“Nigerians are suffering. The current president has put us in this suffering.”

Amaechi’s comments come amid increasing political activities and early alignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with several politicians already positioning themselves for possible presidential bids.

The former Rivers governor served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly before becoming governor from 2007 to 2015. He later served as Minister of Transportation between 2015 and 2022.

During his time as minister, Amaechi oversaw several railway projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, which became some of the flagship infrastructure projects of the Buhari administration.

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His latest remarks have already triggered reactions online, particularly his promise to “turn Nigeria around in four years” amid the country’s rising inflation, insecurity, unemployment, and economic hardship.

Amaechi, however, insisted that Nigerians should carefully evaluate the track record of anyone seeking to lead the country in 2027 rather than voting based on emotions or political slogans.