Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that he would abolish Nigeria’s indigeneship system and replace it with a citizenship-based national identity if elected president, arguing that ethnic and regional divisions have continued to undermine national unity.
Amaechi made the remarks on Wednesday after appearing before the presidential screening committee of the African Democratic Congress at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, where discussions surrounding the 2027 presidential race and opposition coalition efforts are intensifying.
Speaking to journalists after the session, the former minister criticised identity politics in Nigeria, saying political campaigns built around ethnicity, religion, and regional loyalty had weakened national cohesion and deepened divisions among citizens.
“If I become president, I’ll abolish indigenship and allow only citizenship. All these ‘I’m West, I’m North, I’m East,’ and you’re calling people to vote for you based on religion. I’ll abolish federal character. Every Nigerian will be a member of the federation,” Amaechi said.
The former Rivers governor argued that Nigerians should enjoy equal rights and opportunities in any part of the country without being classified as “non-indigenes” in states where they reside or work. He maintained that the current structure encourages exclusion in employment, education, politics, and public appointments.
Nigeria’s indigeneship policy has remained one of the country’s most debated constitutional and political issues for decades. Under the system, Nigerians are often officially identified by ancestral state or ethnic origin rather than residency or citizenship status within the federation. Critics say the arrangement promotes discrimination against citizens living outside their ancestral states, while supporters argue it protects minority interests and preserves local representation.
Amaechi also called for the scrapping of the federal character principle, a constitutional framework designed to ensure equitable distribution of political appointments and public sector positions across Nigeria’s regions and ethnic groups. The policy was introduced to reduce domination by any particular ethnic or regional bloc following years of political instability and civil conflict.
However, the former minister insisted that competence and merit should take precedence over ethnic balancing in governance and public administration. According to him, national development would be accelerated if appointments and opportunities were based primarily on qualification rather than origin.
His comments immediately triggered fresh political debate across Nigeria’s political landscape, with supporters describing the proposal as a bold attempt to promote national integration, while critics warned that removing federal character protections could heighten fears of marginalisation among minority communities.
Amaechi, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics for more than two decades, previously served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor of Rivers State between 2007 and 2015, and later Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
His appearance before the ADC screening committee comes amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition politicians and coalition groups holding consultations aimed at challenging the ruling establishment.
The African Democratic Congress has recently attracted increased national attention following reports of negotiations involving opposition figures seeking broader political alliances before the next presidential election cycle.
Political analysts say Amaechi’s latest remarks are likely to intensify national conversations around restructuring, constitutional reform, citizenship rights, and power-sharing arrangements in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria remains deeply diverse, with more than 250 ethnic groups and longstanding political sensitivities surrounding religion, ethnicity, and regional representation. Questions surrounding state identity, residency rights, and equitable distribution of federal resources have repeatedly shaped electoral campaigns and governance debates since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
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