The former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says he will scrap the federal character principle if elected president in 2027, insisting that all Nigerians should enjoy equal citizenship rights.
Mr Amaechi, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made this known shortly after appearing before the ADC screening committee on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that issues relating to indigeneship would no longer exist under his administration, regardless of whether citizens originate from the northern, eastern, western or southern parts of the country.
According to him, the federal character principle exists because the Nigerian system is unfair and does not guarantee equal opportunities for citizens across the federation.
He said that every Nigerian should be allowed to function freely without discrimination, stressing that competence and merit should determine employment and appointments into public institutions.
Mr Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State, attributed the rising insecurity and criminality to widespread poverty, unemployment and failures within the nation’s socio-economic system, describing it as deeply defective.
“The reason people carry guns is because the system is bad. Nigeria has been divided into the rich and the poor,” he stated.
He noted that while wealthy Nigerians send their children to private schools, the poor rely on poorly funded public schools with limited educational opportunities and infrastructure.
Mr Amaechi urged Nigerians to assess political leaders based on their performance records rather than ethnic or regional considerations.
He cited the reforms implemented during his tenure as Rivers governor, saying that his administration improved public education and encouraged movement from private to government-owned schools.
Mr Amaechi said that his administration also established healthcare centres across communities and increased the number of employed doctors in Rivers from 400 to 600.
He explained that his government implemented free healthcare services, with the government paying medical institutions directly based on the number of patients treated monthly.
“Every primary healthcare centre established by my administration was staffed with at least one doctor and two nurses for effective service delivery,” he stated.
Mr Amaechi said that Nigerians should judge leaders by tangible achievements and policies instead of sectional sentiments based on ethnicity, region or political affiliations.
Responding to questions about reports linking him with vice-presidential ambitions, Mr Amaechi dismissed the claims, insisting that he was contesting solely for the presidential position.
“I don’t want to be vice president. I made myself clear and did not speak in ambiguous terms,” he said.