A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, has warned that President Bola Tinubu could undermine Abuja and potentially relocate Nigeria’s capital to Lagos if re elected in 2027.
Amaechi made the remarks on Wednesday during the OccupyINEC protest in Abuja, stressing that the ADC is determined to remove the All Progressives Congress from power, just as it unseated the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.
According to him, “The APC forced PDP out of office, and now it is our turn to do the same to them. If they remain in power, they may destroy this capital or relocate it to Lagos. Nigerians must vote them out.”
The protest was organised in response to actions taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission regarding the ADC’s internal leadership crisis.
Prominent political figures present at the demonstration included Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, David Mark, and Rauf Aregbesola, all of whom maintained that Tinubu should not continue in office.
Amaechi further accused the president of weakening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and suggested that the ruling party fears electoral defeat.
“They claimed to be popular, so why are they afraid of elections? Tinubu says he was part of NADECO, yet democracy is being weakened under him. In 2015, the APC benefited from Jega, who remains one of the finest INEC chairmen,” he said.
He also criticized the appointment of Joash Amupitan as INEC chairman, alleging that it was intended to weaken opposition parties ahead of future elections.
“Appointing someone primarily concerned with protecting personal interests has no place in INEC. It is disappointing. The process has already been manipulated by restricting party registrations out of fear of defeat. Regardless, they will lose the election,” Amaechi added.
Amaechi also blamed the current administration for rising unemployment and urged Nigerians to reject the APC in the next elections.
“Unemployment is increasing under Tinubu’s leadership. If Nigerians do not act, the situation will worsen. Consider how quickly the national anthem was changed upon his assumption of office. I have played my part; the rest is up to the people,” he said.
