Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, engaged in a heated verbal exchange on Monday during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The confrontation followed Sowore’s criticism of Nigeria’s political elite, whom he accused of contributing to the country’s economic challenges despite having previously occupied key public offices.

Speaking at the conference, Sowore urged Nigerians to reject politicians who, after serving in government, return to seek power while making fresh promises.

“Please, please, don’t let these politicians lie to you,” Sowore told the audience.

Referring to an alleged earlier statement by Amaechi, Sowore said, “I loved one thing that Amaechi said. He said, apart from Sowore and Abiola, the rest of us that have been in government have failed. They have no business coming back.”

Sowore subsequently took aim at Amaechi’s record as Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation, criticising his administration’s handling of infrastructure, education and public-sector funding.

“When it comes to subsidy, transportation policy is important. We have a former governor of Rivers State here, Amaechi, who built a rail line that went nowhere. If that rail line was working, subsidy would have been working for Rivers people,” he said.

He also accused former public officials of failing to adequately support citizens while in office.

“And we can’t ignore that those of you who had governed before refused to subsidise your people,” Sowore added.

The AAC presidential candidate further cited labour disputes during Amaechi’s tenure as governor.

“You did not subsidise education in your state. Lecturers and doctors went on strike for 13 months! You may like him as a person, but he did not perform as a governor. That is the truth,” he said.

Amaechi, however, defended his record and challenged Sowore to point to his own experience in governance.

Responding to the criticism, Amaechi highlighted railway projects executed during his tenure as Minister of Transportation, including the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna rail lines.

“Who are those from Lagos? Is the Lagos-Ibadan railway working or not? In my time, it was working. I don’t know what is happening under Tinubu. There is Abuja-Kaduna rail, working or not?” Amaechi asked.

When Sowore attempted to interrupt by returning to Amaechi’s record as Rivers governor, the former minister cut him short and challenged him to inspect projects executed during his tenure.

“Where are the Rivers lawyers? Please take Sowore around. Where are the Rivers lawyers who are present? Take Sowore around,” Amaechi said.

He went on to list several projects he claimed to have executed as governor, including roads and primary schools.

“I said I built that road. I built this road. I built this primary school. I built that primary school,” he said.

Amaechi then turned directly to Sowore and asked, “Sowore, what is your experience?”

As the exchange intensified, Amaechi added: “When politicians are talking, close your mouth.”