Nigeria: Sowore, Amaechi clash over governance record
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi exchanged heated remarks on Monday during a political session at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port Harcourt.
The session, themed “Beyond Limits brought together legal practitioners, presidential candidates and political leaders to discuss Nigeria’s political future ahead of the 2027 general elections. The focus was on the track record of past office holders and the impact of government policies, especially fuel subsidy and transportation.
Representing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Amaechi opened with a swipe at politicians seeking power again after previous tenures.
“I like what Amaechi said. He said that apart from Sowore and Adebayo, the rest of them have governed before and have failed. You guys should be apologising to the Nigerian people,” he told the audience.
He argued that debates on subsidy must also include transportation. Citing his experience in Rivers State, he said a rail project started there had not been put to proper use.
“We have a former governor of Rivers State who built a rail line that led to nowhere. If that rail line was well working, subsidy would have been working for Rivers State,” Amaechi said.
He also criticized former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, who was present at the session as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“Peter Obi, for example, did not subsidise education in his state. Lecturers and doctors went on strike for 13 months. You can like him as a person, but he did not perform as a governor,” he said
Amaechi then turned to his time as Minister of Transportation. He said key rail projects were functional under his watch.
“In my time, Lagos-Ajaokuta railway was working. I do not know why it is not working under Tinubu. Same thing for Abuja-Kaduna rail,” he said.
The conversation took a sharper turn when Amaechi addressed Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress.
“Please, I need Rivers lawyers to take Sowore around. What is your experience?” Amaechi asked, prompting laughter in the hall.
He followed with a blunt remark: “When politicians are talking, Sowore, close your mouth.”
Sowore did not respond immediately during the session, but the exchange drew reactions from attendees and on social media, with many calling it one of the most tense moments of the conference.
The political panel also featured Peter Obi, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, and the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party.
Amaechi attended as the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress.
Discussions centered on governance, economic reforms, and what voters should demand in 2027. Panelists debated subsidy removal, education funding, infrastructure and the need for accountability from leaders with prior executive experience.
The NBA conference, held in Port Harcourt, is one of the largest gatherings of lawyers in Africa. This year’s political session was designed to push candidates to address policy, not just politics, as the country prepares for elections.
The back-and-forth between Amaechi and Sowore underscored the tension in that conversation — between experience in government and calls for outsider alternatives.
With campaigns expected to intensify in the coming months, Monday’s session offered an early preview of how candidates may attack each other’s records while trying to sell their vision for Nigeria’s future.
