Lamido and I Would Have Confronted Tinubu If We Were Governors – Ex-Gov Amaechi

Former Rivers State governor and ex-minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that he and former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, would not have remained silent in the face of Nigeria’s current political climate if they were still in office. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the public presentation of Lamido’s autobiography, *Being True to Myself*, Amaechi recalled their time as governors, describing it as a period marked by strong opposition and accountability.

Reflecting on the state of Nigerian politics, Amaechi questioned whether the current events could have occurred during their tenure, to which he answered emphatically, “No.” He said, “We would have confronted the government, confronted the president. That’s how radical you were. That’s how our Governors Forum operated. That’s how determined we were to change things.”

Amaechi also spoke about the political split between himself and Lamido during their opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan. While they had been close allies, a difference in political strategy eventually led to their separation. “We had our bad times when we disagreed. I made the mistake of assuming he was as radical as I was,” Amaechi said.

He recalled that the final break came when Lamido chose to align with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), diverging from their faction’s decision to remain with the All Progressives Congress (APC). “We said, ‘If we go to the SDP, we will lose the election. Let’s hang on to this one called the APC.’ He disagreed and left us. That’s where we parted ways,” Amaechi explained.