Alleged Christian Genocide: Amaechi Clarifies Discussions with American Officials

Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has addressed allegations surrounding a meeting with American officials during Nigeria’s past elections, insisting the discussions were strictly focused on ensuring a free and fair electoral process. Speaking at the National Conference of Editors in Abuja, Amaechi dismissed claims that opposition figures had pressured the United States to influence the outcome of the election against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by citing a so-called Christian genocide.

“There have been talks about some clandestine meetings in America. No, there was no meeting in America like that. There was just one meeting, and we were invited. The question was from the Americans: look, we don’t want violence in this election and we should trust that there would be no violence,” he said.

Amaechi also reflected on the state of Nigerian journalism, drawing a contrast between the military era and the democratic era. He suggested that journalists today are less confrontational, partly due to personal and ethnic interests. “I have friends who are editors. I said, are these not the same people that fought with us when we were fighting? They say they are. I said, so what has changed in journalism? Because they’re no longer fighting,” he explained.

He argued that ethnicity has influenced both politics and journalism, making it difficult for reporters to critique officials from their own region. “Nigerians don’t hate bad government; it’s just that the bad president is from another part of the country. If the bad president is from your area, he’s a wonderful man; he’s trying his best,” Amaechi said. He called for citizens to remove ineffective governments through legitimate electoral processes and emphasized the need for Nigeria to become a country where people can live, work, and own property freely across all regions.

Amaechi also linked insecurity in Nigeria to economic deprivation, warning that when citizens lack access to legitimate means of livelihood, they are forced to find illegal alternatives. “The reason why Nigeria is like this is that they have denied ordinary citizens the right to survive. If you refuse to create legitimate means of livelihood for the citizens, they will create for themselves illegitimate means of livelihood,” he stated.

In a related development, Onoh criticized Sheikh Gumi for allegedly supporting violent groups, warning that his actions could attract international scrutiny and sanctions. Onoh called on President Tinubu’s administration to investigate Gumi’s network, prevent individuals from undermining national security, and stop propaganda that fuels ethnic and religious division. He emphasized that such conduct “can no longer be tolerated in a nation fighting for survival,” urging decisive action to uphold security and national unity.