Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, on Wednesday declared that he would abolish the federal character principle and replace indigeneship with citizenship if elected president in 2027, insisting that Nigerians should be judged by competence and performance rather than ethnicity, region or religion.
The declaration pushed Amaechi into one of Nigeria’s most contentious political debates, with the former Rivers State governor arguing that the country must move away from identity-driven politics and build a system based on merit, fairness and equal citizenship.
Earlier, Amaechi appeared before the ADC Presidential Screening Committee in Abuja.
In a statement made available late on Wednesday to journalists, Amaechi said, “There will be no federal character. A very good Nigerian will be a member of the Federation.
“Federal character is there because the system is unfair. So, it is one way to manage the system.”
He blamed rising insecurity and kidnappings on unemployment and economic hardship, saying many young Nigerians were being driven into crime by a failing system.