‘INEC is no longer electoral umpire’ – Amaechi slams Tinubu’s governance

Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed concern over the state of Nigeria’s electoral process, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of losing its neutrality. Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time program with Charles Aniagolu on Tuesday, Amaechi alleged that under the current INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, the commission has been compromised and is now preventing political parties from being registered.

Amaechi stated that if Yakubu had been chairman in 2015, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not have won the presidential election. He credited former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega for conducting credible elections and facilitating the APC’s registration. “Jega made it seamless for us to register APC. I wish the National Assembly could amend the constitution and allow Jega remain until proper reforms are done,” he said.

Reflecting on the conduct of recent elections, Amaechi warned that Nigeria is witnessing a form of state capture through electoral institutions. He described the current political environment as one in which laws are routinely disobeyed and institutions are manipulated for partisan gain. “INEC is no longer the umpire,” he said bluntly, calling for urgent electoral reforms.

The former minister also criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State, particularly the attempt to declare a state of emergency. “I am disappointed with how the president handled it, because the constitution does not give him the power to suspend any governor. You have to go by the rule of law,” Amaechi said.

Speaking about his political journey, Amaechi credited his emergence as governor to God, former Governor Peter Odili, and the Nigerian judiciary. He recalled his legal battle that led to his swearing-in, noting that his lawyer at the time, Lateef Fagbemi, is now the Attorney General of the Federation. He also mentioned a past political disagreement with current Governor Nyesom Wike, whom he refused to appoint as commissioner for finance.

Amaechi was defensive of his legacy, listing major projects he executed as governor and minister. “I built five flyovers, primary and secondary schools, health centers, a sports village, and even a mother and child hospital. As minister, I completed the Lagos-Ibadan railway, Kano-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, and an inland dry port in Kano,” he said, lamenting that many of those projects have now been abandoned or vandalized.

He also reflected on the political atmosphere during his early years in public service, describing it as more transparent than today. “If you lost an election and went to court, you could get a fair verdict,” he said, recalling how he became Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly at 34 and later governor at 42, launching free education and expanding public healthcare.

While he declined to comment on his future political ambitions, Amaechi criticized the current generation of politicians, saying many no longer care about integrity or public perception. “I don’t go about insulting people. The current crop of politicians are not ashamed—they don’t bother about their name or character,” he said.