Why Amaechi Is Still In Pains

Strange things are happening. Some of them defeat common sense. One such is the recent disposition of former governor and minister Rotimi Ameachi. It appears he is not at peace with how he missed out on the presidential race after all was said and done....CONTINUE READING

Things like this are typical in politics, but what is not normal is when a politician decides to go against the game in a manner that would sink him further into the political nosedive.

Since the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, it is evident that no love has been lost between them. I recall that after the primaries, the APC team led by the president visited him to extend the hand of fellowship. It was expected that the handshake was a good one that every right-thinking person should pay attention to.

He did not and the rest is history. He has his reasons, as I am not privy to the inner workings of the political landscape. These politicians know how they play their game.

They do things in the dead of the night. In the morning, we only read on the pages of newspapers how the fate of over 200 million Nigerians has been decided.

I have my reservations about the recent outing of former governor Rotimi Amaechi. He spoke at the 2023 TheNiche Annual Lecture themed “Why We Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism, and the Nigerian Condition. Hear him:

“What is new to say, Nigerians don’t react to anything. Has any politician told you he is not a thief? Which politician told you he went to university, which politician told you she served in NYSC, and which politician told you he has his certificate?

Nigerians know and still vote for them, so what is your problem? I say, why should I speak when already there’s nothing new?

We don’t need a soothsayer to interpret the statement. He was referring to the president and his team. It wasn’t necessary, in my opinion, even though there were rumors that he fraternized with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. This cannot be confirmed, but there is no smoke without fire.

The rumor went further that it was agreed that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would run for one term and facilitate his emergence as president after him. As I said, these are rumors, and if it is true, he needs to move on instead of throwing shades.

I assume that the Supreme Court judgment was a contributory factor in his recent outburst. But it does not change anything, and the judgment can’t be reversed. I am tempted also to assume that the rift between him and the minister of the FCT, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, is also a factor.

I wonder if he can cohabit with Nyesom Wike in the same room. The last I checked, he is still a member of the APC, and Wike is still a member of the PDP. Funny as this might sound, Wike worked for the APC, and Amaechi worked for the PDP. Well, that is how these politicians behave and why one should not take their words hook, line, and sinker.

Back to the crux, former governor Rotimi Amaechi overreached himself by his outburst. It is understandable because everyone wants to be relevant in the scheme of things. If your plan does not go according to your books, you become the loser.

As an experienced politician, he should know when to draw the curtain, as the outburst was unnecessary and out of tune with the present realities on the ground. It smacks of a sore loser who will do anything to drag others into his boat of miseries. This is a regular occurrence, and I wasn’t surprised.

In all of these, I wish to render advice to former governor Rotimi Amaechi. He has to learn to outgrow some specific things. In a country like Nigeria, where he has been active politically for decades, he can’t absolve himself of anything untoward that has happened in the country. He has served as speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, governor, and minister. How many politicians are this lucky?

Former governor Rotimi Amaechi needs to retrace his steps and act in a manner that is civil in his public conduct. He should not try instigating the citizenry because his recent statement could bring about such.

I pray he gets his acts right very soon, or else he might have himself to blame politically. So long he remains a politician, he must behave like one and not attempt to be a technocrat. Nigerians can’t be deceived. In all honesty, former governor Rotimi Amaechi needs to apologize to the president. That would show sportsmanship.

He needs to mend the fence and move on with his life instead of the attempt to burn the bridge. Such disposition has not helped anyone I know, and I don’t believe former governor Rotimi Amaechi would be any different.