Amaechi Still Politically Relevant in Rivers, But Lacks Moral Right to Criticize Electoral System,.Says Akintobi

Public Affairs Analyst, Dayo Akintobi, has said that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, remains politically relevant in Rivers State but has no moral right to criticize the electoral system, having been a beneficiary of the same practices he now condemns. Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday morning, Akintobi described the crowd that welcomed Amaechi during his recent visit to Rivers as organic and enthusiastic, indicating that the former governor still commands strong support in the state. He noted that Amaechi’s political evolution from Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly to Governor and later a federal minister, spanning different political platforms, highlights his deep-rooted influence in the state. “He started out in the PDP as Speaker and Governor before defecting to the APC towards the end of his tenure. Now, coming back to Rivers under a different political toga and still receiving such a welcome shows he’s still very politically relevant,” Akintobi said. He also suggested that a rally by the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held simultaneously with Amaechi’s could have been an effective way to measure their political strengths, as both men remain dominant political figures in the state. However, Akintobi faulted Amaechi’s recent statement in which he alleged that people in Rivers “know how to write election results.” He questioned Amaechi’s moral standing in making such claims, given that he rose to power under the same system. “That statement took me aback. Are you saying you rigged your way into office too? Because if election results were being written in Rivers, you certainly can’t claim you were exempt,” Akintobi said. He described Amaechi’s criticism as hypocritical, arguing that the same allegations he is now making applied to his own political party when it held power. “If he truly stood against such political malpractice, why didn’t he speak out or resign back then? In Nigeria, nobody resigns. But it’s still hypocritical to complain now after benefiting from the same system. He has no moral right to do so,” Akintobi stated