At the ninth edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation Annual Leadership Discourse in Lagos, former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, shared his experiences mobilizing against former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 elections. Amaechi, speaking on “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” cited dissatisfaction with Jonathan’s leadership style and economic management as reasons for his opposition. He detailed life-threatening encounters, including being blocked from entering Ekiti State and facing military hostility at airports.
Amaechi also narrated a harrowing escape from Kano during the controversial installation of the Emir of Kano, emphasizing the personal risks he took. Reflecting on President Bola Tinubu’s policies, Amaechi criticized the abrupt removal of the oil subsidy without preparatory measures like mass housing projects that could have cushioned its impact. He expressed disappointment at the silence of churches and civil society, highlighting the Catholic Church’s liberation theologians as rare voices of resistance.
Discussing the weakened state of student activism and labour movements today, Amaechi lamented the decline in ideological commitment compared to the militant, Marxist-leaning student bodies and active labour unions of the 1980s, which he once belonged to.
