Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that his decision to return to university while serving under former President Muhammadu Buhari led to his effective withdrawal from regular government duties. Amaechi disclosed this during an interview with AIT on Wednesday night, while discussing his political career and experience serving in Buhari's administration. He explained that he approached Buhari to seek permission to further his education and was given approval.
According to Amaechi, the arrangement allowed him to spend most weekdays away from the ministry, with Wednesday being the only day he regularly reported to his office. He stated that he applied to the university and informed them that he wouldn't be in the office on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, effectively resigning from the government. Amaechi served as Minister of Transportation from November 2015 until May 2022.
Before his appointment as Minister of Transportation, Amaechi had served as governor of Rivers State for two terms between 2007 and 2015. He was also Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. His political career covered both legislative and executive positions at the state and federal levels. As transportation minister, Amaechi was a prominent member of Buhari's cabinet and was associated with the Federal Government's railway and transportation development programme.
During his tenure as Minister of Transportation, Amaechi oversaw projects including the Lagos-Ibadan railway and other major rail developments undertaken during Buhari's presidency. His ministry played a significant role in the administration's efforts to expand rail transportation across different parts of the country. Amaechi eventually left the ministerial position in May 2022 after announcing his intention to contest the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Amaechi contested the APC presidential primary but lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who went on to emerge as the party's presidential candidate and later won the 2023 presidential election. The former governor is now the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The ADC formally announced Amaechi as Atiku's running mate in June 2026.
Amaechi had earlier contested the ADC presidential primary against Atiku and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, finishing second in the contest. His emergence as Atiku's running mate came after an earlier period of uncertainty over who would occupy the position. Before the announcement, Amaechi had publicly rejected suggestions that he entered the ADC presidential race with the intention of becoming a running mate.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, later published the nomination documents of Atiku and Amaechi, listing Amaechi's political and professional history, including his service as a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, governor of Rivers State, and Minister of Transportation. The Atiku-Amaechi ticket is set to compete in the 2027 presidential election.
Key points
- Rotimi Amaechi effectively withdrew from regular government duties while serving as Minister of Transportation to pursue further education.
- Amaechi served as Minister of Transportation from November 2015 until May 2022 and oversaw significant rail development projects.
- Amaechi is currently the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
