Amaechi: Tinubu’s Policies Made My Mother’s Drugs Unaffordable

Amaechi: Tinubu’s Policies Made My Mother’s Drugs Unaffordable

Former Rivers State governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has alleged that the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu contributed to the death of his mother, saying the rising cost of medicines made it difficult for him to afford her treatment.

Amaechi made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, October 2, 2026, while criticising the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms on Nigerians.

According to him, his mother was healthy before Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, but the increasing cost of drugs subsequently made it difficult for him to obtain the medication she needed.

Amaechi said, “Tinubu’s policies killed my mother. Before Tinubu came, my mother was healthy. After 2023, it was difficult for me to buy drugs for my mother.”

His mother, Ezinne Amaechi, died on July 16 at the age of 89.

Amaechi used his personal experience to highlight what he described as the broader effect of economic hardship and rising healthcare costs on Nigerian families.

He has been particularly critical of the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the policy has contributed to higher living costs without sufficient relief for citizens.

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The former governor also questioned the use of funds saved from subsidy removal and called for greater attention to the welfare of Nigerians struggling with food, transportation and medical expenses.

His comments came shortly after Tinubu, in his October 1 Independence Day address, defended his administration’s economic reforms, saying they were necessary to correct longstanding structural problems and that Nigeria was moving from reform towards prosperity.

The President acknowledged that millions of Nigerians were still struggling with food, school fees, medical bills and transportation costs, but argued that the difficulties had accumulated over decades.

Tinubu said the government was working to reduce the cost of living through measures targeting production, transportation, agriculture, healthcare and social support, while insisting that there would be no return to the old petrol subsidy regime.

Amaechi, however, maintained that the impact of the reforms should be measured by how they affect ordinary Nigerians.

He also linked the rising cost of medicines to Nigeria’s dependence on imported pharmaceutical products and called for stronger domestic production of drugs.

The former transportation minister has in recent weeks stepped up his criticism of the Tinubu administration, particularly over petrol prices, infrastructure and the cost of living.

During the same interview, Amaechi said he would withdraw as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and campaign for Tinubu if petrol sold for N600 per litre.

Amaechi was announced as Atiku’s running mate on the ADC ticket in June 2026 ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The allegation concerning his mother’s death remains Amaechi’s account. There is no independent medical finding presented in the reports establishing a direct link between her death and any government policy.

The debate over the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms continues, with the administration maintaining that the policies are intended to correct longstanding economic weaknesses and create conditions for sustained growth, while opposition figures have argued that the reforms have imposed significant hardship on households.

Amaechi: Tinubu’s Policies Made My Mother’s Drugs Unaffordable