While addressing the National Electoral Reform Summit which took place in Abuja on Tuesday November 11, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State remarked that numerous individuals who are now spearheading the current election reform movements were the same ones who had urged former president Mohammadu Buhari against endorsing the significant electoral amendment bill during his administration.
Amaechi, alleged that the very prominent political figures who obstructed former President Muhammadu Buhari’s electoral reform initiatives are now feigning support for the same cause they previously undermined.
“When we were in government, Buhari swore that one legacy he would leave behind was electoral reform — a process that would make sure every vote counted,” Amaechi said.
“But when the National Assembly brought the bill, some politicians went to him, pushed him beyond measure, and stopped him from signing. Now, those same people are the ones shouting for reform.”
Amaechi characterized the scenario as the pinnacle of political hypocrisy and self-serving behavior, contending that Nigerian politicians frequently endorse or resist reform solely based on their personal gains. He said:
“Most of those who talk about electoral reform do so depending on where their stomach is facing. If they’re eating, they don’t want reform. If they’re hungry, suddenly they remember reform.”
He stated that the inability to establish credible elections has resulted in Nigeria being ensnared in a cycle of political deception, where the same elites rotate between holding power and engaging in protest.
Amaechi, who held the position of Director-General for Buhari’s presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019, remarked that the former president’s decision not to endorse the electoral bill was among his most significant political errors — a choice, he emphasized, that continues to affect the nation.
He said, “That singular act denied Nigeria a chance to entrench fairness in our electoral system, If Buhari had signed it, we wouldn’t be here today talking about reform.”
Focusing on the present administration, Amaechi cautioned that those in authority may be at risk of making the same error if they do not permit free and credible elections. Forecasting that “If tomorrow, President Tinubu and his people lose an election, they will suddenly become the loudest voices for reform. Saying that, “It’s the same cycle — people only want justice when they are out of power.”
The previous governor, who is now a major leader of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), called on Nigerians to cease depending on politicians for reform, asserting that only continuous civic pressure can bring about change.
he said. “It’s citizens’ participation that will stop those who don’t want reform.”
“Will government give you reform? No. Don’t wait for NLC or NANS — they no longer exist in the way they used to.” He advised.
The ADC leader ended with an appeal for citizens to overcome fears of manipulations and safeguard their democracy by engaging in mass participation. Admonishing that:
“Reform won’t come from government — it will come from you. When you say results are already written, you’re spreading fear. If citizens come out in numbers, nobody can steal the result,”
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