The Presidency and the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have attacked former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi over his declaration that only “mad people” would vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
While the Presidency dismissed the former transport minister as a political lightweight who would add no value to the presidential ticket of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Edo APC fired back, insisting that the state’s voters were not mad and would decide their choice at the polls.
The controversy erupted on Thursday when Amaechi, speaking at an African Democratic Congress (ADC) town hall meeting in Benin City, Edo State, urged residents to reject Tinubu in next year’s election.
The former governor accused supporters of the President of being thieves and declared that the 2027 election would reveal the number of Nigerians he described as mad.
“They are going about saying, vote Tinubu, vote Tinubu; only thieves will vote for Tinubu,” Amaechi said.
He added: “In fact, I read on social media that it is in 2027 that we will know how many mad men we have in Nigeria because it is only a mad man that can vote for Tinubu.
“If Edo people vote for Tinubu, that means Edo people are mad. If you are not mad, Tinubu should not win here.”
His remarks drew a sharp response from the Presidency, which questioned his political credibility and ability to mobilise votes for the opposition.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, described Amaechi as a careless and irresponsible talker, arguing that his comments showed a lack of restraint.
Ajayi also brought up Amaechi’s earlier controversial remarks about his late mother, accusing him of exploiting her death for political purposes.
“Somebody who weaponised the death of his own mother, there is no extent such a person cannot go in uttering balderdash and gibberish,” the presidential aide said.
He questioned Amaechi’s account of his mother’s inability to afford medication, citing what he described as the former governor’s spending on his daughter’s university education in the United Kingdom and his mother’s funeral.
Ajayi argued that the spending contradicted Amaechi’s explanation, describing his claim as ridiculous.
The presidential aide subsequently turned his attack to Amaechi’s electoral record, recalling his role as director-general of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019.
According to Ajayi, Buhari’s performance in Rivers State raised questions about Amaechi’s political influence in his home state.
“He was DG of Buhari’s campaign two times, but we didn’t get 10 per cent of votes in Rivers State,” he said.
Ajayi further argued that Amaechi would struggle to deliver Rivers State or the wider South-South region to Atiku and the ADC in 2027.
“He’s actually a burden on Atiku’s ticket. We really don’t even know why Atiku or the ADC will make such a political lightweight a VP candidate, because he brings no value to Atiku’s ticket,” he said.
“He cannot deliver Rivers State; he won’t deliver Rivers State. He can’t deliver South-South, his region.”
The Edo APC also rejected Amaechi’s remarks, insisting that residents of the state were politically aware and capable of making informed electoral decisions.
The party’s publicity secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, said Amaechi was entitled to his opinion but maintained that Edo voters would not be intimidated or insulted into making their choices.
“It’s not all statements that we must react to. If he likes, let him say that Edo people are mad. It’s Edo people that will know whether they are mad or not,” he said.
Uwadiae-Igbinigie praised Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration and Tinubu’s policies, arguing that the Federal Government’s reforms and infrastructure spending in Edo would count in the President’s favour.
He also dismissed the ADC as a party of politically spent forces, contrasting it with the APC, which he described as a platform of experienced politicians.
In a bold electoral claim, the Edo APC spokesman said the party had been promised 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in the state.
He maintained that residents would support the President in appreciation of the development projects being undertaken by the Okpebholo administration, which he linked to resources from the Federal Government.
“The people are happy that Okpebholo is developing Edo, and the only way they can say thank you is to vote for Tinubu, because they know that the resources we are using in Edo are coming from the Federal Government,” he said.
The exchange has added to the political hostilities ahead of the 2027 general election, with Amaechi attacking Tinubu’s appeal to voters while the Presidency and the Edo APC challenge the opposition figure’s political influence and electoral value.
Don’t Miss Out! Join our WhatsApp Channel for instant news updates. Click here to join
