In a bold and controversial statement that has stirred political discourse nationwide, former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has publicly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, declaring that former President Muhammadu Buhari was “better by all standards.”
Amaechi’s remarks came in response to the recent commissioning of a 16-kilometre road project in Abuja by President Tinubu, which the former minister described as “embarrassing” and “beneath the stature of a sitting president.” He likened the event to a local government chairman’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, questioning the scale and symbolism of the project in the context of national leadership.
“I feel ashamed that a president would inaugurate a 16km road like a local government chairman,” Amaechi reportedly said, adding that such gestures diminish the dignity of the presidency.
The 16km carriageway, part of the Inner Northern Expressway linking Idu to Zuba, was commissioned as part of a broader infrastructure rollout under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), led by Minister Nyesom Wike. The project, initially awarded in 2014 and completed under Tinubu’s administration, was hailed by government officials as a symbol of progress and urban renewal.
However, Amaechi’s comments have reignited debates over the comparative legacies of Buhari and Tinubu, both of whom are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While Buhari’s administration was often criticized for sluggish infrastructure delivery, Amaechi argued that it maintained a more presidential posture and delivered on larger-scale projects.