I’ll campaign for Tinubu if petrol drops to N600 – Amaechi

File: Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi

Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, says he will withdraw from the presidential race and campaign for President Bola Tinubu if petrol prices drop to N600 per litre.

Amaechi made the pledge on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while criticizing the Federal Government over rising transportation costs and general economic hardship.

He challenged the Tinubu administration to prove that its economic reforms have improved living standards, specifically referencing the President’s commitment to lowering transportation costs by October 1.

“I will go to petrol stations tomorrow morning to buy fuel.

“If fuel has come down to N600 per litre, I will campaign for President Tinubu. If fuel comes down tomorrow to N600, I will campaign for President Tinubu. If you doubt me, come with your camera. I will go to the filling station and buy fuel.”

“If it comes down to N600, I, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, will withdraw as the vice-presidential candidate of Atiku and campaign for President Tinubu,” he said.

The former Minister of Transportation questioned whether the administration had fulfilled its promise of delivering lower transport fares.

“Go back to the President’s October 1 Independence Day speech in 2025; he has been repeating the same lies.

“The President said by October 1, transportation costs will come down. Ask one of your staff who goes by public transport how much it costs to move from Nyanya to Abuja. Has anything come down?” Amaechi said.

• Reforms boosting oil sector investments, says Shettima
• PDP candidate abandons 2027 ticket, joins Oyo APC
• Wike questions Amaechi’s 24-year record in public office

Amaechi argued that the average citizen has yet to experience tangible benefits from key policy decisions, including the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“The essence, according to the President, of the subsidy removal is to better the lives of Nigerians,” he said. “But where is the money? I want to feel it. Everybody wants to feel it.”

He criticised current tax policies, stating that recent minimum wage increases have been negated by statutory deductions and secondary taxation.

“Government increases your salary to N70,000 and then introduces taxes that take away over 60 to 70 per cent.

“With the money in your pocket, will you vote for Tinubu, who has taken away the money from your pocket?”

Amaechi, who is running alongside Atiku Abubakar on the ADC ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election, emphasised that economic survival remains the paramount concern for the electorate.

“Atiku represents life. Before you talk about a country or that you are a northerner or a Christian, you must first be alive.”

He warned that persistent economic hardship could trigger severe political consequences for the governing party as citizens contend with rising costs.

“Nobody hates Tinubu, and he knows, but his policies are killing people,” Amaechi said, adding that personal experiences with family healthcare costs have highlighted the systemic pressures facing households.