Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), and Rotimi Amaechi, vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Monday flayed each other over the records and experience of Nigerian politicians at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The exchange occurred during a political session themed “Beyond Limits”, where politicians debated Nigeria’s political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
Amaechi, who represented Atiku Abubakar, ADC presidential candidate, challenged Nigerians to scrutinise the records of politicians who had previously held public office, arguing that many had failed in government.
He criticised Peter Obi’s record as Anambra governor and also defended his tenure as transportation minister, saying some railway projects that operated under him had become dysfunctional under the President Tinubu administration.
Turning to Sowore, Amaechi questioned his experience in government and told him to remain silent while politicians with governing experience were speaking.
“When politicians are talking, Sowore, close your mouth,” Amaechi said.
Sowore, however, pushed back, defending his political credentials and challenging the argument that experience in government automatically translated into good governance.
He maintained that Nigerians needed leaders with fresh ideas rather than politicians recycling their past records.
The exchange underscored the growing political tension ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with opposition figures increasingly using public platforms to challenge one another over governance records, experience and competing visions for Nigeria.
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