I’ll resign if Nigeria doesn’t improve under Atiku — Amaechi

The African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he would resign if Nigerians do not begin to experience positive changes within one year of the party taking over government.

Amaechi made the remarks during an interview on NewsCentral TV on Friday, where he discussed the party’s proposed economic policies ahead of the 2027 general election.

He stated, “I’m sure the president knows my character, the presidential candidate (Atiku Abubakar) knows my character, that if I’m not performing, I may likely leave government.”

When asked again whether he would resign as vice-president if he failed to perform under an Atiku-Amaechi administration, Amaechi replied, “Of course. I’m not joking.”

He also expressed confidence that an Atiku-led government would earn Nigerians’ support within its first year in office.

Amaechi said he believed Nigerians would appreciate Atiku’s leadership and regret not voting for him earlier.

“But the way the situation is and the way I know Atiku, our first year in office, he will be hailed as a hero,” Amaechi said.

“Atiku will be hailed as a hero. Nigerians will regret not voting for him earlier,” he added.

The former Rivers State governor said an ADC-led government would introduce a production subsidy aimed at reducing the cost of petrol by making crude oil available to local refiners below the international market price.

He explained that refiners benefiting from the arrangement would be required to reflect the savings in their pump prices.

“What we’re introducing is what we’ll call a production subsidy.

“If you don’t bring down the price, because the subsidy is aimed at bringing down the price, if you don’t do that, then you don’t get the subsidy.

“You either get the subsidy and bring down the price, or you buy at the international market rate,” he said.

Amaechi said the proposed arrangement would ensure that government support to local refiners translated into lower prices for consumers rather than merely increasing the profit margins of the companies.

On agriculture, he said the party would review existing policies, encourage Nigerian farmers and reduce the country’s dependence on imported food.

“We must review the agricultural policy,” he said.

“We must encourage Nigerian farmers. We will not be importing food.”

He argued that increased investment in agriculture would create employment opportunities, generate wealth and help address insecurity.

“Agriculture will create wealth, will create employment. Employment will reduce insecurity,” he added.

The ADC vice-presidential candidate also gave an indication of the level of accountability he said Nigerians should expect from the party if elected.

He said he would resign if the country failed to show signs of improvement within one year of an ADC administration.

“If Nigeria does not begin to change, one year after we have come to office, come to me, I will resign,” he said in an earlier interview.

Amaechi clarified that he was not promising that every problem facing the country would be solved within 12 months, but insisted that Nigerians should begin to feel a positive difference.

Amaechi also said the ADC would continue its political activities and campaign ahead of the 2027 general election despite the court ruling affecting the party’s leadership.

“We are not stopping,” he said, insisting that the party would continue with its plans while pursuing the legal process.

Recall that the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress followed the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as head of the party’s caretaker leadership.

The transition was challenged by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who argued that he was constitutionally entitled to succeed Nwosu.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in Gombe’s favour, declaring the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and nullifying its decisions, including the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

The ruling also affected the party’s other nominations for the 2027 elections.

The ADC rejected the judgment and said it would challenge the decision.

On Friday, the party announced that it had filed an appeal and an application for a stay of execution, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission not to take further action while the legal challenge was pending.

It also insisted that its campaign activities would continue.