The Presidency has responded to remarks made by former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in which he attributed his late mother’s death to the economic difficulties associated with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Amaechi, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the 2027 vice-presidential race, made the statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday.
The former governor was discussing the impact of the Federal Government’s economic measures and the increasing financial burden on Nigerians, particularly in relation to healthcare and the rising prices of medicines.
According to Amaechi, his mother had been in good health before Tinubu became President. He claimed, however, that the situation became more challenging after the administration assumed office because the cost of obtaining the medication she required increased significantly.
Amaechi argued that the economic situation had made it increasingly difficult for families to meet their healthcare needs, using his experience with his mother as an example of what he described as the consequences of government policies.
During the television interview, he maintained that his mother’s advanced age should not be considered the only factor behind her death. He argued that she had remained relatively healthy before the current administration came into power and that the rising cost of her medication subsequently created additional difficulties.
The former minister also said that many Nigerians were facing similar challenges in accessing essential healthcare because of the rising cost of medicines.
Amaechi’s comments formed part of his wider criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy. He has argued that the reforms have placed significant pressure on households and have made everyday expenses more difficult for many Nigerians.
His mother, Mary Amaechi, died in July 2026 at the age of 89, according to multiple reports.
Following the former governor’s comments, the Presidency reacted through Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Social Media.
Olusegun criticised Amaechi’s statement in a post published on X on Saturday. He described the former minister’s remarks as unfortunate and questioned the seriousness of the claim.
The presidential aide wrote: “Unfortunate. This man is a clown at this point.”
The exchange has added to the growing political disagreements between supporters of the Tinubu administration and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general election.
Amaechi, who is running alongside Atiku Abubakar under the ADC, has continued to challenge the Federal Government over the state of the economy, arguing that government decisions should be judged by their effect on ordinary citizens.
His comments about his mother came while discussing the wider impact of rising healthcare costs and the difficulties families face when trying to maintain access to medication.
The Presidency’s response, meanwhile, signals another point of disagreement between the administration and the opposition camp as political activities ahead of the 2027 election continue to gather momentum.
While Amaechi has linked his difficulty in purchasing his mother’s medication to the economic policies of the Tinubu administration, that political claim should be distinguished from an independently established medical cause of death. The reports establish that he made the allegation; they do not independently establish that government policy medically caused his mother’s death.
