Rotimi Amaechi Net Worth and Biography

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Nigerian politician who is one of the richest politicians in Nigeria with a net worth of $780 million. He previously served as Governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, as well as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. Amaechi proclaimed his intention to run for President in 2023 on April 9, 2022. He finished second in the APC presidential primaries in June 2022, following Bola Tinubu by 316 votes from delegates. Here is a detail of Rotimi Amaechi’s net worth and biography.

Bio Data

Life and Education

Amaechi was born in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, to the late Elder Fidelis Amaechi and Mary Amaechi in the year 1965.  He grew up in Diobu, a heavily populated neighbourhood of Port Harcourt. From 1970 until 1976, he attended St Theresa’s Primary School. After attending Government Secondary School Okolobiri, he received his West African Senior School Certificate in 1982. Amaechi earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours) in English Studies and Literature from the University of Port Harcourt in 1987, where he also served as President of the National Union of Rivers State Students.

He completed the required National Youth Service Corps in 1988 and then worked for Peter Odili’s Pamo Clinics and Hospitals Limited until 1992. He also serves on the boards of various corporations, including West Africa Glass Industry Limited and Risonpalm Nigeria Limited.
Amaechi revealed on his Twitter page on November 19th 2022 that he is a certified graduate of Law, accompanied by images of his convocation.

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Political Career

During the transition to the Third Nigerian Republic, Amaechi served as Secretary of the National Republican Convention in Rivers State’s Ikwerre Local Government Area. Between 1992 to 1994, he worked as a Special Assistant to Rivers State Deputy Governor, Peter Odili – his boss saw Amaechi as a young guy with political prospects and took him under his wing. During General Sani Abacha’s transition period in 1996, he was the Rivers State Secretary of the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) caretaker committee.

In 1999, he ran for and was elected to the Rivers State House of Assembly to represent his constituency. He was later elected as Speaker of the House of Assembly. Afterwards, Amaechi was appointed Chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of State Assembly Speakers. And he was re-elected Speaker in May 2003. When the National Assembly attempted to seize the legislative responsibilities of the State House of Assembly, he and his colleagues took the subject to the Supreme Court in 2003.

Following Muhammadu Buhari’s election in 2015, Amaechi was assigned to his cabinet as Federal Minister of Transportation. Afterwards, President Buhari re-nominated him for ministerial job in July 2019. But during his Senate screening, Amaechi was ordered to take a bow and go.

Amaechi’s Tenure as Governor of Rivers State

In 2007, Amaechi ran for and won the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primary for Governor of Rivers State. But, his name was changed by the party, which he fought against and took to court. The case was eventually heard by the Supreme Court. Afterwards, he was sworn in as governor on October 26, 2007, after the Supreme Court decided that he was the rightful candidate of the PDP and the winner of the Rivers State governorship election in April 2007.
His administration invested on infrastructure development, road and bridge construction, and remained committed to the objective of connecting all parts of the state via road. The governor was also committed to urban regeneration and transportation service modernisation. His administration also launched construction of a monorail to enable mass transit within Port Harcourt. Some power plant projects were also created to increase the state’s electricity supply.
On April 26, 2011, he was re-elected for a second term. Amaechi was one of seven serving governors that formed the G-7 faction within the PDP in August 2013. Amaechi, along with five other members of the G-7, switched to the new opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in November 2013, and became director general of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign.

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Rotimi Amaechi’s Net Worth

According to RNN‘s list of the richest politicians in Nigeria, Rotimi Amaechi’s net worth is estimated at $780 million. However, the data provided is not owned or created by RNN.

Corruption Scandal

Amaechi has been accused of corruption by his successor, Governor Ezenwo Wike, since leaving office in 2015. According to Wike, Amaechi used state funds to finance President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign during the 2015 presidential election by selling Rivers state-owned oil and gas assets. And then fraudulently misappropriating the revenues totaling $309 million. On the other hand, Amaechi has repeatedly refuted the allegations levelled against him. However, he admitted in 2018 that, despite Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign, corruption existed within the administration.

In May 2022, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave the Rivers State panel of inquiry permission to investigate Amaechi for an alleged N96 billion fraud.

Personal Life

Rotimi Amaechi is married to Judith Amaechi, with whom he has three sons. He is a devout Catholic and a Knight of the Order of St. John the Baptist (KSJ).
In honour of his 56th birthday, the Nigerian honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, turned singer. He released his debut track titled ‘Blessed The People The Lord Has Chosen As His Heritage’ in conjunction with his wife, Judith, on May 27, 2021.

Sources: Wikipedia, RNN.ng, Carmart.ng