In a period defined by hardship, hunger and mounting national anxiety, Nigeria has found itself drawn into an unexpected political confrontation — one that reveals far more about the state of the nation than the personalities involved. The tension erupted after former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, offered a pointed critique of the Tinubu administration, prompting a fiery response from former Senator Shehu Sani.
What followed was a viral exchange that quickly seized public attention: Sani accused Amaechi of being “too blessed by Nigeria” to criticise the government. According to Sani, Amaechi’s long tenure as Speaker, Governor and Minister disqualified him from speaking on national issues. But in a nation grappling with unprecedented hardship, Sani’s attack raised an uncomfortable question: Is criticism of government now considered an attack on the country?
A Misguided Attack in a Time of Crisis
The logic behind Sani’s tirade collapses under the weight of Nigeria’s current realities. Between 2023 and 2025, the nation has witnessed some of its harshest socio-economic indicators in decades:
- Poverty surged toward 120–140 million citizens, nearly double pre-2020 levels.
- Inflation soared above 30%, with food inflation suffocating families.
- An estimated 18.3 million children remain out of school — the highest in the world.
- 30–33 million Nigerians are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025.
- Kidnappings, banditry and terrorism have significantly escalated, with survey-based kidnapping incidents reaching alarming nationwide levels.
- Millions have been displaced across the North and Middle Belt.
- Nigeria went over a year without ambassadors in key diplomatic posts.
- Civic space and free expression have tightened, raising domestic and international worry.
In such dire conditions, the act of criticism itself becomes a patriotic duty. The right — and responsibility — to call out government shortcomings becomes essential for national survival. To suggest otherwise is to mistake loyalty to leadership for loyalty to country.
Amaechi’s Record vs Sani’s Rhetoric
Rotimi Amaechi is not just another voice in the political arena. He is a former Speaker, former Governor and former Minister whose infrastructural legacies remain visible from Rivers State to the national rail network. During his years in leadership, Amaechi oversaw:
- Construction of 300+ model primary schools and 24 modern secondary schools.
- Reform of primary teacher salaries to stabilise education.
- Upgrading over 100 health centres and hospitals.
- Delivery of 300+ roads and major urban renewal in Port Harcourt.
- Completion of the Lagos–Ibadan and Warri–Itakpe rail lines.
- Strengthening of the Abuja–Kaduna rail operations.
- Foundational planning for the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Rail.
- Significant reforms in Nigeria’s maritime and port systems.
By contrast, Shehu Sani’s legislative record remains sparse, with his most widely remembered constituency project being the distribution of ₦1,500 transistor radios to Kaduna residents — a gesture that became a national punchline more than a development milestone.
A Question Shehu Sani Must Answer
Why would a man who built a public career on activism suddenly argue that critics should be silent? Why would someone known for attacking governments now turn his outrage toward another critic rather than the leadership presiding over rising poverty, hunger and insecurity?
Is Shehu Sani defending the Nigerian people — or defending the Tinubu administration?
The Democratic Stakes
At the heart of this clash lies a critical democratic principle:
Government is not the nation.
Criticising leadership is not the same as criticising Nigeria.
In fact, the opposite is true—silencing criticism harms the nation far more than it protects it. Democracies collapse when political figures start determining who has the “right” to criticise. Constructive dissent is a check on power, a safeguard for citizens, and a stabilising force for the republic.
A Timeline of Decline That Demands Accountability
From 2023 to 2025, every major national indicator — poverty, hunger, education, security and diplomacy — moved in the wrong direction. Amaechi’s observations did not create these facts; they merely acknowledged them. Sani’s outrage did not refute anything; it simply avoided everything.
Conclusion: Facts Over Sentiment
Nigeria is passing through a defining moment. Citizens are hungry, fearful, exhausted and desperate for leadership that listens rather than lectures. In such times, those with experience, institutional memory and national influence have a duty to speak out.
Rotimi Amaechi did.
Shehu Sani attacked him for it.
But Nigerians know that truth does not lose its power because one man dislikes it. The nation deserves more than emotional theatrics. It deserves honesty, accountability and courage.
And in this clash between sentiment and substance, between rhetoric and record, between noise and legacy — legacy speaks louder.