Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said Nigerians are worse off under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, citing declining living standards, poor economic management and rising corruption.

Amaechi spoke on Tuesday at the National Assembly during a protest against the rejection of proposals for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

The demonstration, led by civil society groups and prominent political figures, is demanding amendments to the Electoral Act to ensure compulsory real-time transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general election.

Addressing protesters and journalists, Amaechi—who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—said the current administration had failed to improve the welfare of Nigerians.“Is life easier now than when I was in the APC? Life is worse now than during the Buhari administration,” he said.

“Even under Buhari, when we were planning to remove fuel subsidy, there were better plans for citizens. What we see now is excessive corruption.”

Amaechi alleged that a $16 billion road project was awarded without due process, describing the situation as evidence of deepening corruption under the Tinubu-led government.

“I don’t know how it was before, but the corruption now is too much. Let’s see whether Tinubu will win again in 2027,” he added.

The protests at the National Assembly complex began on Monday, with Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, leading one group of demonstrators.

On Wednesday, the Senate retained the provision on electronic transmission of election results as contained in the Electoral Act 2022 but rejected proposals for mandatory real-time transmission and a 10-year ban on vote buying.

Lawmakers instead upheld existing provisions, which allow results to be transmitted “in a manner as prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” as well as current penalties of fines or jail terms for electoral offences.

Despite backing from a majority of senators, the real-time transmission clause sought by election reform advocates was not adopted. (The Guardian)

•Ex-Minister Ameachi joined a protest against the rejection of proposals for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.

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