A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has called on opposition parties to mobilise citizens ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that President Bola Tinubu is not politically invincible and can be defeated.
The former Rivers State Governor warned against political apathy and the decline of civic pressure groups in Nigeria.
He said that election outcomes are not predetermined if Nigerians turn out in large numbers to vote.
He stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the National Electoral Reforms Summit 2025 themed: ‘Critical Constitutional Amendments for Credible Election in 2027″, organised by National Consultative Front (NCFront)/Labour and Civil Society Front (LCSF) in collaboration with Movement for Credible Election (MCE).
Amaechi added: “When you say the president is invincible, he is not invincible. I’ve worked with him and I know him. When you say the results are already written, they are happy to spread that narrative so people won’t come out.
“If you come out en masse, nobody will write any results. Nobody will take away the result sheets. Anyone who tries it will only be creating problems for himself.”
While saying that meaningful reform would not come from the government unless citizens demand it, Amaechi said that pro-democracy participation should be citizen-driven.
He stressed that groups like the Nigeria Labour Congress, Academic Staff Union of Universities, and National Association of Nigerian Students can no longer be relied upon for national mobilisation.
Amaechi added: “Don’t wait for the NLC. There is no NLC. There is also no ASUU or NANS anymore. If you are waiting for the government to initiate any reform, you are wasting your time.
“Before the election, there must be resistance to those who do not want a credible process.”
Amaechi decried the worsening economic hardship, saying widespread hunger has become undeniable regardless of social status.
“The other day, I said Nigerians are hungry. If they are not hungry, I’m hungry. But whether I’m hungry or not, are Nigerians not hungry?” Amaechi said.
On her part, former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili stressed the limitations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in prosecuting electoral offenses.
According to her, INEC currently depends on the police and the attorney general for enforcement, which has contributed to repeated electoral violations.
Ezekwesili called for the establishment of a dedicated prosecutorial unit within INEC and stressed the need for technological and procedural improvements.
She listed the improvement to include mandatory electronic transmission of results to reduce opportunities for manipulation during collation.
Also is expanded timelines for voter registration, candidate nomination, and election preparations to improve accessibility and efficiency among others.