"IF I BECOME PRESIDENT, I'LL ABOLISH INDIGINESHIP AND FEDERAL CHARACTER" - ADC PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT, ROTIMI AMAECHI

Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has called for a shift away from ethnic and regional identity in Nigeria, insisting that citizenship should take precedence over indigeneity and zoning.

Speaking on national unity and governance structure, Amaechi said Nigerians should be assessed based on their contributions rather than their origin.

He stated:

“Access us by what we have done, and reach a conclusion. I don’t want to be hearing I’m from north, I’m from South and from East. I’m not from South or East or West. I’m a Nigerian.”

He further argued that if he becomes president, the current system of indigene-based classification would be abolished.

“If I become president, there will not be indigineship. There will be citizenship. We are first and foremost citizens of Nigeria all this I’m West, I’m North, I’m East and you’re calling people to vote for you based on religion and ethnicity”

On the issue of federal character, he said

“There will be no federal character. Every Nigeria will be a member of the federation.”

However, he acknowledged the rationale behind the policy, noting it was introduced to correct structural imbalance.

Using an analogy, Amaechi linked unemployment and social unrest to systemic failure, arguing that economic inclusion would reduce crime.

“Let me give you an example. If everybody is employed, would there be arm robbers? If all of us are working shares, we won’t have time to r+b because 6 a.m you’re at work and 6 p.m. you are closed, You are too tired to wake up to carry a g+n.”

He concluded that insecurity such as r+bbery and kidn+pping stems largely from economic hardship rather than moral failure.

“The reason why you’re seeing people carry a g+n and k+dnap people is because the system is bad.”