Amaechi: I’ll Back Tinubu If Petrol Falls to ₦600

By TheDailyNewsHub News Desk | October 2, 2026

Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he would withdraw as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and campaign for President Bola Tinubu if petrol sells for ₦600 per litre by Saturday, October 3.

Amaechi made the statement on Friday, October 2, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he challenged the Tinubu administration over the rising cost of living and the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.

The former Rivers State governor said he was prepared to personally visit a filling station the following morning to establish whether petrol had dropped to the price he mentioned.

He said: “If fuel has come down to 600 I will campaign for President Tinubu.”

Amaechi went further, offering to relinquish his position as Atiku’s vice-presidential candidate if the price condition was met.

The remark was made amid continuing political debate over petrol prices, subsidy policy and the cost of living ahead of the 2027 general election.

Amaechi criticised the removal of petrol subsidy by the Tinubu administration, arguing that the policy had increased the financial pressure on households and businesses without sufficient measures to cushion its effects.

Petrol prices have remained a major economic and political issue since the Federal Government announced the removal of the subsidy in May 2023. The resulting changes in fuel costs have affected transportation, food distribution, production and other essential activities.

Channels Television reported in September that petrol prices had risen to as much as ₦1,470 per litre in some parts of the country, while the debate over the government’s fuel policy intensified.

Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has proposed an intervention aimed at reducing the cost of locally refined petroleum products. His proposal involves making crude oil available to domestic refineries at more affordable rates, with the expected savings passed on to consumers.

The proposal has been described by the party as a production subsidy, distinguishing it from the previous arrangement in which government payments supported the difference between the cost of imported petrol and the regulated pump price.

Amaechi has defended the proposal, arguing that supporting domestic refining could reduce production costs and make petroleum products more affordable.

The proposal has also attracted criticism from the Presidency, which has questioned its financial implications and how the proposed intervention would be implemented.

The debate comes as Nigeria continues to expand domestic refining capacity. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is central to discussions about local production and the country’s ability to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products. TheDailyNewsHub previously reported on Dangote’s projection that Africa could become largely self-sufficient in fuel by 2030.

During Friday’s television appearance, Amaechi also described the 2027 presidential election in stark terms, saying Tinubu represented what he called the choice of death. The remark reflected his criticism of the President’s economic policies and was presented as his political opinion.

Amaechi served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and later became Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He is now seeking national office as Atiku’s running mate on the ADC platform.

His ₦600 challenge places petrol pricing at the centre of the political contest, while raising questions about the feasibility of delivering the proposed price and the economic measures required to sustain it.

Amaechi’s offer remains conditional: he said he would withdraw from the ADC ticket and campaign for Tinubu if petrol was selling for ₦600 per litre on the morning of October 3. The statement does not mean that he has withdrawn from the ticket.