Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has expressed confidence that the party will defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, claiming it has support in 13 states across the North-East and North-West.
Amaechi also said the ADC would challenge the All Progressives Congress in the South-South and North-Central, predicting victories in Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
He spoke on Saturday at the ADC’s presidential campaign rally in Bauchi State, where he said the party would not accept a repeat of what he alleged happened during the 2023 general election.
“These people will do what they did in 2023. This time, we shall not agree. Do you understand? We will not do what?” he said.
Amaechi, the running mate to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, argued that the ADC had a stronger regional presence, citing its support in 13 states in the North-East and North-West.
“We are the only party that comes with 13 states. The whole of the North-East, the whole of the North-West—that is 13, right? Let the President tell us how many states he comes with. He comes with only five in the South-West,” he said.
He claimed that the APC would lose a sixth state in the South-West to the Allied Peoples Movement.
“That’s if he will. And the sixth state in the South-West will vote APM, whether he likes it or not,” he added.
The former Minister of Transportation said the ADC would also compete strongly against the ruling party in the South-South and North-Central, adding that he was confident Atiku would win Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
“We will fight with him in the South-South. We will fight with him in the North-Central. And be sure, be rest assured, Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa will be in ours easily,” he said.
Amaechi also predicted that Tinubu would make little electoral progress in the South-East, insisting that the ADC would win the presidential election.
“He will not go to the South-East at all. Be rest assured, we will win. We will win. Things will get better,” he said.
The rally comes amid uncertainty over the ADC’s leadership and its preparations for the 2027 elections. On November 5, the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the party’s National Working Committee, led by former Senate President David Mark, and invalidated decisions taken under it, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
Justice Peter Lifu also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting, held on July 27, 2025.
The ADC rejected the judgment and said it would challenge the decision in court, insisting that its activities and preparations for the 2027 elections would continue.
Atiku, who served as vice-president from 1999 to 2007, emerged as the ADC’s presidential candidate at its May 2026 primary, with Amaechi selected as his running mate.
