Amaechi also did not attend the inauguration of his native state’s new governor, Fubara Siminalayi.
Rotimi Amaechi, a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was conspicuously absent from Monday’s inauguration of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s sixteenth president at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
However, Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers, was observed at the Umuahia Township Stadium for the inauguration of Labour Party candidate Alex Otti as Governor of Abia State.
While Tinubu was sworn in in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, 28 governors representing four distinct political parties were sworn in simultaneously in their respective states.
African leaders such as South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Gabon’s Billy By-Nze, Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara, Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame attended Tinubu’s inauguration.
The historic event was witnessed in person by Tinubu’s predecessors Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan.
In addition to dignitaries such as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, oligarchs such as Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Abdullah Rabiu, and Jim Ovia were present at the inauguration venue.
Others present include service commanders, leaders of security agencies, governors, former governors, serving and former ministers, and APC heavyweights such as former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, and House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, amongst others.
Amaechi, a two-term member of Buhari’s administration, was not present, however. Instead, Amaechi was photographed at the Umuahia Township Stadium in Abia with dignitaries including Theodore Orji, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Julius Abure, and Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Amaechi’s presence at Otti’s inauguration has prompted many Nigerians to express astonishment on social media.
Tinubu defeated APC power brokers Amaechi, Osinbajo, and Lawan to win the party’s nomination in June 2022.
During the approximately six-month campaign period permitted by the electoral body, Amaechi did not attend any of Tinubu’s rallies nationwide, including the one in Port Harcourt, his home state.
Amaechi did not attend the inauguration of the new governor of his native state, Fubara Siminalayi, because he is not on good terms with former Rivers governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) power broker Nyesom Wike.
