Vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged to resign from office if Nigerians do not begin to experience noticeable changes within one year of an ADC administration taking power in 2027.
Amaechi made the declaration during an interview on AIT’s Democracy Today, where he outlined security, education and the economy as the three major areas that an ADC government would prioritise if elected.
The former Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation said he was willing to stake his political position on the performance of an ADC administration, challenging Nigerians to hold him accountable if there was no discernible improvement in the country within its first year.
“If Nigeria does not begin to change, one year after we have come to office, come to me, I will resign,” Amaechi said.
He, however, clarified that his statement did not mean that every problem facing Nigeria would be completely solved within 12 months.
According to him, what Nigerians should expect within the first year is evidence that the country is moving in a different direction and that citizens are beginning to experience a better environment.
“One year after? Yes, if Nigeria does not begin to change. I didn’t say Nigeria must change or that everything must change. But even if you feel the change, you have a breath of fresh air,” he said.
Amaechi identified security, education and the economy as fundamental areas that must be addressed before Nigeria can achieve sustainable progress.
“You must deal with three things. You must deal with security, you must deal with education, you must deal with the economy before this country can progress,” he said.
He also argued that addressing corruption would be essential to funding development, alleging that resources meant for critical sectors were being diverted into private hands.
Amaechi maintained that reducing corruption would make more public resources available for security, education, infrastructure and other areas requiring government investment.
“And to do all that, corruption will have to come down because there is no money for anybody to steal,” he said, arguing that funds required to address national challenges were being diverted from their intended purposes.
The ADC vice-presidential candidate also criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Amaechi questioned what benefits Nigerians had received from the policy, arguing that the removal had not translated into sufficient improvements in the living conditions of ordinary citizens.
He further expressed concern about the contrast between widespread economic hardship and the level of spending he said he had witnessed at some social gatherings.
Amaechi also raised concerns about Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished goods, claiming during the interview that more than 46 per cent of finished goods were imported into the country.
“Who are those importing it? Nigeria is in trouble,” he said.
On the political mood in the country, Amaechi referred to an occasion where he said he watched some Nigerians hoot at President Tinubu while the President travelled from Lagos International Airport to his residence.
He contrasted the incident with his expectation of how citizens would respond to an ADC administration if it delivers on its promises.
“I watched people hoot at Tinubu from the Lagos International Airport to his house. If we become president, nobody will do that. They will be clapping for us because we will change Nigeria,” Amaechi said.
His comments come as political parties and presidential contenders prepare for the 2027 general election.
Amaechi’s one-year pledge places emphasis on measurable public expectations, although he did not specify particular economic, security or social indicators that would determine whether his proposed threshold for “change” had been met.
The former governor nevertheless maintained that an incoming government should produce noticeable improvements in the lives of Nigerians rather than merely make promises.
His pledge means that, if the ADC wins the 2027 presidential election and forms the Federal Government, he would be publicly committing himself to resign if Nigerians do not begin to experience the changes he described within the first year in office.
For now, the statement remains a political commitment made by Amaechi as part of the ADC’s campaign and policy messaging ahead of the 2027 election.
