Nigeria’s transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has been heard in an audio recording to be expressing pessimistic views about Nigeria and the administra
Nigeria’s transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has been heard in an audio recording to be expressing pessimistic views about Nigeria and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose re-election bid he leads. The recording was shared by Phrank Shaibu, a spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar campaign, a former vice-president, of the Peoples Democratic Party, who is the main challenger of Mr Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, in next month’s presidential election.
The audio recording contains a portrayal of Mr Buhari as a dismal failure who has been unable to meet the expectations of various segments of the society, ending with a dismissal of Nigeria as a never-going-to-change hopeless nation. The transcript of the recording reads: “These are not things you publish ooo. If you publish them, you will never sit with me any day. Three years of Buhari oo, everybody is crying, crying…pressmen are crying, farmers are crying, workers are crying, politicians are crying, students are crying, three years oo! The rate of poverty is very high. The people are hungry. Nigeria will never change!”
In an earlier recording also shared by the Atiku campaign organisation, Mr Amaechi appeared to be describing Mr Buhari as a leader that does not listen and care. Meanwhile, Mr Shaibu said the leaked tape has shown that even the president’s appointees lacked confidence in his ability to transform the country. “The President should just quit honourably instead of wasting taxpayers monies on a failed reelection bid. The truth is that the other day, the President confessed that the economy had collapsed under his watch,” he said.
"I have written to the governor of Katsina state… to give us land in Daura for a University … the next university will be in my village…there's a common saying that charity begins at home, why will my own begin abroad? …this country is hopeless and helpless" – Amaechi pic.twitter.com/l8UGUq8UqP
— Tenacity #Atikulated (@NewDawn9Ja) January 6, 2019
