Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, urging voters to place performance above ethnic, religious and political loyalties.

Amaechi made the call during an interview with Rapid TV, where he argued that Nigerians should assess the incumbent administration based on its performance rather than personal or political affiliations.

To illustrate his position, the former Minister of Transportation said even his emotional attachment to his wife would not stop him from opposing her if she became president and governed in the manner he accused Tinubu of governing.

“Today, the closest person in my life is my wife, not my children. So tomorrow, if my wife becomes president and is doing what Tinubu is doing, I’ll be mad to follow my wife, despite my emotional attachment to her. It’s either she changes, or I leave her,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to set aside religious, ethnic and political considerations in deciding who should lead the country in 2027.

“I expect Nigerians not to… forget religion, forget politics, forget ethnicity. Just abandon Tinubu,” Amaechi said.

The ADC vice-presidential candidate argued that Nigerians had experienced Tinubu’s leadership and should consider giving the opposition an opportunity to govern.

“There’s a difference between Tinubu’s team and our team. They have been tested, so you know that the next four years you will die. We have not been tested, so give us a chance,” he said.

However, Amaechi acknowledged that his own record in public office was open to scrutiny, having served as governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The only person you can say that has been tested is me, because I’ve been a governor. But my record speaks for itself. I was once a minister. Projects are out there,” he said.

He challenged Nigerians to assess his performance during his tenure as Rivers State governor, insisting that his record could be independently verified.

“I was once a governor. Rivers State is there, anybody can go and verify. You can do your referendum,” he added.

Amaechi maintained that neither he nor ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had previously occupied the offices of president and vice-president at the national level.

He also criticised the prospect of Tinubu securing another term, using the computer expression, “garbage in, garbage out,” to argue that retaining a leadership he considers unsuccessful would produce similar results.

“So now that you know that Tinubu is bad, if you know that Tinubu is bad and you garbage in the bad things, what comes out? The garbage out will also be bad,” he said.

On the 2027 elections, Amaechi called for greater voter participation and vigilance, urging Nigerians not only to cast their ballots but also to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

Citing voter participation in the United States, he said Nigerians should turn out in large numbers and resist any attempt to manipulate election results.

“You see what’s happening in America? Already 52 million Americans have voted. They are coming out in their numbers,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to similarly participate actively in the electoral process and challenge those allegedly boasting of plans to rig the election.