Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi has vowed to abolish indigeneship and replace it with full citizenship across Nigeria if elected president in 2027.
Amaechi made the declaration on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, while fielding questions from journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He also said that the concept of inideneship is one of the reasons bad leadership persists.
“Assess us by what we have done and reach a conclusion. All I’m hearing is, I’m from the North, I am from the South and I am from the East.
“I am not from the East or South or the North, I am a Nigerian. If I become a president there will not be indigeneship, there will be citizenship.
“We are first and foremost citizens of Nigeria, all these I’m West, I’m North, I’m East and you’re calling people to vote for you based on religion and….”Amaechi said.
The former Rivers State governor also responding to questions on whether he would scrap the Federal Character principle if elected argued that such policies exist because the current system is unfair and breeds discontent.
“So, one way to manage the system is to say, ‘give shares to areas of this thing.’ Let me give you an example, if everybody is employed, will there be armed robbers?” he asked.
“If all of us in Port Harcourt are working in Shell, you won’t have time to rob because 6 am, you’re at work; 6 pm you have closed. And you’ll be too tired to wake up and carry gun.
“The reason why you see people carrying gun to kidnap people is because the system is bad,” Amaechi stated.
West, I’m North, I’m East and you’re calling people to vote for you based on religion and….” Amaechi said.
Responding to questions on whether he will abolish the Federal Character if elected president, Amaechi stated that such exists because the system is unfair.
“So, one way to manage the system is to say, “give shares to areas of this thing. Let me give you an example, if everybody is employed, will there be armed robbers?
“If all of us in Port Harcourt are working in shell, you won’t have time to rob because 6 am, you’re at work; 6 pm you have closed. And you’ll be too tired to wake up and carry gun.
“The reason why you see people carryil gun to kidnap people is because the system is bad,” the former minister noted.
