Amaechi Predicts Tinubu’s Possible Defeat in 2027 Polls

Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and leader of the African Democratic Congress, an opposition alliance, has advised Nigerians to get ready to cast large numbers of ballots in 2027 in order to guarantee President Bola Tinubu’s loss.

Amaechi, who announced in August that he would like to run for president in 2027, claims that Tinubu’s defeat in Lagos State in 2023 demonstrated that he is not unbeatable.

Amaechi spoke at the First Daily newspaper’s fifth anniversary lecture on Monday in Abuja, along with former Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson.

The event’s topic was “2027: How can we make our votes count?”

In his message of goodwill, Amaechi warned that complacency and voter apathy allow electoral malpractice to flourish and urged Nigerians to cast ballots in the upcoming elections in order to stop President Tinubu from winning a second term.

“The first solution to electoral reform is not the government,” he declared. People are the issue. Voter indifference increases the more you claim that the outcomes were written. Voter indifference will force President Bola Tinubu to go back to Villa.

“Tell the people the power is in your hands,” Amaechi said, urging the populace to take charge of the process. Emerge. If Tinubu is so unbeatable, how did he lose in Lagos?

You must first acknowledge that the man there is not unbeatable, even though it can be repeated. The opposition is what’s wrong.

He went on to say that expecting a government in power to implement election reform is unreasonable.

“Nigeria’s elections are problematic since the current government is unable to implement electoral reform. No. We’ve already attempted that and failed,” he remarked.

According to Amaechi, reform initiatives are frequently thwarted by special interests inside the political class.

The former minister of transportation also criticized opposition parties for failing to come up with workable plans, pointing out that their capacity to oppose the ruling class is weakened by internal strife and a lack of concentration.

“You are the issue, I inform the opposition parties. The opposition party is not talking about ways to keep Nigeria intact. He said, “No one is saying, ‘Oh, things are horrible. How do we change the candidate?

Dickson, the event’s chairman, had denounced what he called “the worst coup” against democracy and labeled it as the subversion of the people’s sovereignty through manipulated elections.

“We still have a long way to go in terms of safeguarding the sovereignty that our constitution rightfully claims belongs to the people, as Nigerians only express that sovereignty during elections.

The former governor clarified, “The worst coup you can plan is rigging elections.”

The senator for Bayelsa West went on to denounce the manipulation of election outcomes by public servants and politicians.

“When politicians, governments, security agencies, and the electoral umpire itself collude and then cook election results that have no reference whatsoever to the people, that is the worst form of violation of the people’s sovereignty,” he stated.

To put it another way, people don’t even cast ballots, but their votes are recorded and attributed to them, and then they are told to go to court right away.

“It is a coup against democracy, against the nation, and against the sovereignty of the people, so in my opinion, those who have planned and executed that are the true coup plotters.”

According to the former governor of Bayelsa, he saw electoral rigging while in office.

“I witnessed all of this while serving as governor of an opposition state, where I engaged in numerous conflicts to maintain opposition.” “My dear friends and fellow Nigerians, if we are honest, what the average Nigerian politician refers to as election planning is a conspiracy to commit crimes,” he stated.

In order to prevent result manipulation and uphold the will of the people, he encouraged the National Assembly to reinforce electoral legislation.

During his keynote speech, Dr. Sam Amadi, the director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, criticized the country’s electoral system, denouncing what he called a growing entanglement between political power and election management.

According to Amadi, the current state of affairs has created a political climate where “everyone who has something to do with the management of electoral elections is connected to the President.”

He bemoaned the effective abandonment of the long-standing practice of selecting impartial and independent election officials.

He said that “our elections are always rigged in one form or another,” citing structural factors including exorbitant campaign expenses, the great benefits of holding public office, and a political economy that transforms elections into “warfare.”

He claimed that even when people realize that their country’s survival is at risk, this combination increases civic cynicism and lowers attendance.

“The only way a poor, divided society can transition peacefully is through free and fair elections,” the director stated.

The speaker concluded with a useful call to action, encouraging targeted public pressure on organizations and individuals who have the power to alter results.

He singled out INEC for change.

He declared, “INEC must be opened to scrutiny,” accusing both political parties and judges and lawyers who were engaged in the rigging.

In his introductory remarks, First Daily publisher Daniel Markson bemoaned Nigeria’s bad international standing, saying, “There is a leadership issue in this country.” Leaders are present, I’m sure. I don’t want to blame any of you specifically, but let’s face it: we have failed. We’ve fallen short.

“My age is 55. Even though it’s sad, I can’t recall ever having Nigeria work for me. Indeed, I don’t recall ever having Nigeria work for me, and I don’t think I’ll live to see that day.

Markson ascribed the nation’s leadership dilemma on faulty elections.

He declared that the following year, First Daily would start a national voter awareness campaign.

Since civilian authority was restored in Nigeria in 1999, the country has repeatedly struggled to hold legitimate elections.

Allegations of vote-buying, intimidation, and result manipulation have continued despite a number of improvements, such as the implementation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in 2023 and the Smart Card Reader in 2015.

The 2023 general elections, which resulted in the election of President Bola Tinubu, were plagued by logistical problems, technical issues, and charges of prejudice against the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Before the 2027 elections, the public’s faith has been damaged by these disputes, and many Nigerians are still unsure if their votes actually matter.

Political leaders, diplomats, and media executives convened at the event to discuss Nigeria’s democratic future and the pressing need to restore the country’s electoral system’s integrity.