The Presidency and the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have criticised former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi following his comment that only “mad people” would vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The two sides dismissed the comment, with the Presidency describing Amaechi as a politician whose involvement would weaken the opposition ticket, while the Edo APC maintained that voters in the state were capable of making independent decisions at the polls.
Amaechi made the statement on Thursday during a town hall meeting organised by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, Edo State.
The gathering brought together party leaders, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders to discuss the party’s plans for Edo State and Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former governor, who served as Minister of Transportation under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, urged Edo residents to reject Tinubu in the next presidential election.
He accused those campaigning for the President of having questionable motives and suggested that voters who supported Tinubu would be making an irrational choice.
“They are going about saying, vote Tinubu, vote Tinubu; only thieves will vote for Tinubu.
“In fact, I read on social media that it is in 2027 that we will know how many mad men we have in Nigeria because it is only a mad man that can vote for Tinubu.
“If Edo People vote for Tinubu, that means Edo people are mad. If you are not mad, Tinubu should not win here.”
The comments triggered a response from the Presidency and the Edo APC, both of which rejected his assessment of the President and questioned his political standing ahead of the next general election.
Reacting to the remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, questioned Amaechi’s judgment and accused him of making irresponsible statements for political attention.
Ajayi, who spoke on Thursday evening, described the former Rivers State governor as “a known careless and irresponsible talker” and “not a serious politician.”
The presidential aide also brought up Amaechi’s previous comments about his late mother, arguing that the former governor had crossed a line by involving a family tragedy in political discussions.
“Somebody who weaponised the death of his own mother, there is no extent such a person cannot go in uttering balderdash and gibberish.
“He’s not somebody that is known to be prudent in whatever he says or in his utterances.”
Ajayi argued that Amaechi’s public statements should be assessed against his personal conduct and past political decisions.
He alleged that the former governor had used his mother’s death to make a political point and questioned the credibility of his explanation concerning the circumstances surrounding her death.
The presidential aide also challenged Amaechi’s account of the financial difficulties he said contributed to his inability to obtain medication for his mother.
He argued that the former governor had spent substantial sums on his family, including his daughter’s university education in the United Kingdom and his mother’s funeral.
According to Ajayi, these expenditures contradicted the impression he said Amaechi had created about his financial circumstances.
The exchange has added a personal dimension to the political disagreement, with the Presidency focusing not only on Amaechi’s criticism of Tinubu but also on his character and previous statements.
Beyond the personal accusations, Ajayi challenged Amaechi’s record in previous presidential elections, particularly his role as Director-General of Buhari’s presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019.
He argued that the former Rivers governor had failed to deliver substantial electoral support for the APC in his home state despite holding a prominent position in the campaign organisation.
Ajayi maintained that Amaechi’s influence in Rivers State and the wider South-South region remained questionable.
He also raised concerns about the former governor’s ability to attract votes for the ADC in the 2027 election.
“So what is his electoral value?” he asked, stating, “He’s actually a burden on Atiku’s ticket. We really don’t even know why Atiku or the ADC will make such a political lightweight a VP candidate, because he brings no value to Atiku’s ticket.
“He cannot deliver Rivers State; he won’t deliver Rivers State. He can’t deliver South-South, his region. Somebody who probably will not be able to deliver his own polling unit, not to talk of his own ward. So, of what value is he?” Ajayi said.
The presidential aide also argued that Buhari’s victories in the 2015 and 2019 elections did not establish Amaechi’s ability to deliver his home state for the APC.
The Edo State chapter of the APC also rejected Amaechi’s remarks, insisting that residents would make their own choices without being influenced by the opposition politician’s comments.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, described the controversy as unworthy of an extended response.
He maintained that Edo residents were educated enough to understand the issues surrounding the election and decide which candidate deserved their votes.
He said Amaechi was entitled to his opinion but argued that voters should not be insulted for supporting a candidate of their choice.
“It’s not all statements that we must react to. If he likes, let him say that Edo people are mad. It’s Edo people that will know whether they are mad or not. It’s not all statements that we must react to, honestly.
“As for me, Edo people are not mad. Edo people have learned, very seasoned people who know the choices they make during elections. They have never made any wrong choice. They voted for Governor Monday Okpebholo, and that is to tell you the level of sophistication in terms of knowledge. They have been able to separate the grain from the chaff.
“ADC is a party that is made up of the chaff. We are a very seasoned set of people. Edo people have come to like the APC as a party and the people that make up the APC.
“The kind of reforms that the Federal Government has carried out, coupled with the level of infrastructural development in Edo today, are enough to show how sophisticated Tinubu is in terms of political sagacity.
“So, the man himself is an Iroko. How can people leave an Iroko to vote for grass? ADC is made up of grass. We are made up of people of proven integrity, men who have tasted power, who have used power to change the lives of people in the country.
“So, Edo people are not mad. It’s the ADC people, selectively, who are mad. Check the people who are their leaders. They are spent forces within the political arena,” he said.
Uwadiae-Igbinigie further expressed confidence that Tinubu would receive significant support from Edo State in the 2027 presidential election.
He said the APC had set a target of 2.5 million votes for the President in the state, adding that the party expected its performance in Edo to reflect the relationship between the state and the Federal Government.
“The people are happy that Okpebholo is developing Edo, and the only way they can say thank you is to vote for Tinubu, because they know that the resources we are using in Edo are coming from the Federal Government,” he said.
