Former Minister of Transportation and two-time governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has asked the coalition opposition to kick President Bola Tinubu out of office if Nigeria is to escape its deepening economic crisis.

In a no-holds-barred interview with the BBC, Amaechi, a founding member and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, lamented the country’s deteriorating condition and signalled his willingness to help forge a new opposition coalition to rescue the nation.

“People are dying. People are starving. I myself am feeling the effects of hunger,” he said, painting a grim picture of life under the current administration.

Amaechi’s statement comes in the wake of the APC’s recent endorsement of Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for 2027, a move Amaechi openly questioned.

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While reiterating his loyalty to the party, he warned that fidelity to a political platform should never come at the cost of national conscience.

“If the government is failing the country, you don’t just go along because you’re in the same party. You know that’s not right,” he stated emphatically.

Though he stopped short of confirming a 2027 presidential bid, the former minister said the option remained on the table.

“Certainly, I believe I can make a meaningful contribution,” he added, hinting that his political journey may not yet be over.

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He spoke of widespread poverty, spiralling food insecurity, and daily tragedies that now dot the national landscape.

Reflecting on his years as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Amaechi lamented that the number of out-of-school children then pegged at 10 million, had since ballooned.

The economic hardship, he said, had also deepened insecurity.

“The Boko Haram insurgency is not just a religious crisis. Many of those involved are driven by desperation and hunger,” he asserted, linking terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping to a broader socioeconomic collapse.

Amaechi’s declaration added momentum to an emerging political realignment.

Talks were already underway among key opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, as they explored the possibility of a unified front against Tinubu in 2027.

Even ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and once a key Tinubu ally had signalled interest in backing an opposition alliance.

But as opposition forces stir, the ruling party continues to absorb defectors, prompting fears of Nigeria drifting toward a one-party state, a scenario Amaechi warned could undermine democracy and silence dissent.

“We’re thinking that if we come together and win the election, the country will certainly witness change,” he said, suggesting an urgent need for a credible alternative.

A student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s with the overall best graduating CGPA of 4.98, Chizoba Ejiofor, has secured a fully funded Commonwealth scholarship.

Education advocate and tech entrepreneur Alex Onyia, who made this known on social media on Thursday, said he had taken responsibility for supporting Ejiofor after the university failed to award him the promised N50,000 prize for academic excellence.

“I have a good news. A very good news. You remember Chizoba Ejiofor, who graduated as UNN overall best graduating student with CGPA of 4.98, that UNN refused to fulfill the N50k price promised to him?

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“I took him up as a full responsibility. We started working tirelessly together since last year to secure a fully funded scholarship, and today we have the good news,” Onyia wrote.

Onyia revealed that Ejiofor was awarded a fully funded Commonwealth scholarship, valued at over £33,000. The package includes tuition, flight tickets, and monthly stipends.

“This is fully funded scholarship from Commonwealth. Over 33 thousand pounds in scholarship, flight tickets and monthly stipends inclusive. No one can describe how happy and fulfilled I am today,” he added.

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has lamented the state of Nigeria’s democracy, saying the country no longer qualifies to be regarded as a democratic nation.

Obi, in a speech commemorating Democracy Day on Thursday, said the core elements of democracy are absent in the current system of governance in Nigeria.

“Most unfortunately in our present state, our dear country Nigeria cannot be classified as a democratic country. Democracy is said to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Yet, none of these three measures exist in our democracy today,” Obi said.

Obi criticised the electoral process, noting that rules and requirements for participation are routinely violated.

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“People who are not qualified and ought to be disqualified are now holding public offices,” he said.

Reflecting on the symbolic significance of June 12 in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, Obi expressed concern that the country, under the current administration, has seen a broad erosion of democratic values in just two years.

“It is deeply troubling that under the present administration, in a short span of two years, our nation has witnessed a broad erosion of democratic principles,” he said.

He highlighted a corresponding deterioration in security, economic stability, and social services, including education and healthcare.

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“We have traversed from rigged elections to collapsing social service, from soaring poverty to rising corruption, and from a seemingly stable economy to a parallel economy,” Obi stated.

Obi accused the federal government of manipulating public perception rather than addressing the challenges facing the nation.

“Rather than show genuine accountability and measure good progress, [the government] focuses on manipulating the narratives, gaslighting the public, shifting blame, and weaponising governance,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor also cited economic statistics to back his claims.

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According to him, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen from $364 billion in May 2023 to $188 billion, while per capita income has dropped from $1,640 to $835.

“Nigerians living in poverty have increased from 38.9% to 54%. Within this period, 129 million Nigerians now live below poverty line,” he added.

He noted that a World Bank report showed that 75% of Nigerians in rural areas now live below the poverty line.

Obi also decried the state of education and healthcare.

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“Today, we have 18.3 million children out of school, the highest in the world. Our children are now being taught science without science labs and computer without computers. They are now taking exams in darkness with candles,” he said.

On healthcare, he quoted the National Primary Health Care Development Agency as saying that less than 20% of over 30,000 primary health care centres across the country are functional.

“I recently visited some where there are delivery rooms without toilets,” Obi added.

He concluded that the country is “declining fast in all its facets,” warning that the rule of law has become virtually non-existent and that governance is failing to meet the basic needs of the people.