Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on Tuesday urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to nominate a credible, electable presidential candidate capable of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections, warning that appeals to ethnicity and religion will not build the broad coalition needed to win.
Speaking at the ADC convention in Abuja, Amaechi said party members must prioritise viability over sectional considerations. “If you think president Tinubu will hand over power to you, you are wasting your time. ADC must come together and decide on a viable candidate,” he said. “When we joined APC [before 2015], we searched for a viable candidate, and we succeeded. Ethnicity and religion will only take us back to where we started.”
Amaechi also accused the Tinubu administration of stifling opposition activity, questioning why the party was refused access to high-profile venues for its convention. The ADC had said it was denied use of Eagle Square and the Moshood Abiola National Stadium and subsequently moved the gathering to the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja. ADC national publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi later alleged that stadium management was pressured by government officials to cancel the booking.
“Why would a government official try to deny people their constitutional right to gather?” Amaechi asked. “How can someone [Tinubu] who claims to be a democrat and once aligned with NADECO, now act against democratic principles? If that is what they stood for, then it amounts to an attempt to punish Nigerians.”
Amaechi invoked the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the pro-democracy group formed in 1994 that resisted military rule and campaigned for the recognition of the June 12, 1993 election, as he criticised what he described as the misuse of public institutions against citizens. He added that the government has failed to tackle insecurity and worsening economic hardship.
“The situation is bad; it is terrible,” Amaechi said, urging ADC delegates to focus on building a broad-based, electable alternative rather than appealing to narrow ethnic or religious loyalties.
(Background: The ADC is one of several opposition parties positioning ahead of the 2027 presidential poll. Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and ex-minister, has in recent years moved between party alignments and remains a prominent voice in national politics.)
Short note: At the convention Amaechi lightened the mood with a personal aside — he said he listens to Wizkid and Davido but described Burna Boy as his favourite singer.
