Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed confidence ahead of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary, saying former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may no longer be electorally strong enough to win the party’s ticket or the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday night, Amaechi said that although Atiku had repeatedly succeeded in winning party primaries, he had failed to translate those victories into success at the general elections.
“I listened when the former vice president said he never failed a primary before. I hope this will be the first time he will fail primary,” Amaechi said.
He added that presidential politics should be about electability and not just winning internal party contests.
“The issue is that at all times that you have passed primary, you have not won an election. So it’s about electability,” he stated.
Amaechi argued that his own candidacy offers Nigerians something different because he has never previously contested for president.
“I’ve never run. If nothing else, I can argue that I’ve never run any presidential election,” he said.
Despite positioning himself against Atiku in the ADC race, Amaechi praised both Atiku and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, saying either of them would govern Nigeria better than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“If you give this country to Vice President Atiku to govern, I believe he would do well. Just as I think Governor Obi would do well. Honestly, both of them would do better than President Tinubu,” Amaechi said.
The former Rivers governor also accused Tinubu of promoting ethnic considerations in governance, describing the president as “tribalistic.”
He contrasted Tinubu’s leadership style with that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he described as a nationalist.
“He’s a Nigerian president. He’s not a Yoruba president,” Amaechi said while speaking about Obasanjo.
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On the issue of zoning, Amaechi said he supports power rotation because Nigeria is still struggling with national unity and inclusion.
“The answer is yes and no. Yes in the sense that the country, for now, is yet to be found as a united entity,” he said.
He stressed that every ethnic group and region, including minority groups, must feel a sense of belonging in the country.
Amaechi also spoke on insecurity and agitation in the South-East, warning against marginalisation and exclusion.
“If they have to be in Nigeria, then they must be part of Nigeria. They must have a sense of belonging that they are Nigerians,” he said.
According to him, his vision for governance would focus on national integration, education, equal opportunities, and addressing regional concerns across the country.
He specifically highlighted the need to improve educational infrastructure in Northern Nigeria while also addressing grievances in the South-East.
Amaechi’s comments come ahead of the African Democratic Congress presidential primary scheduled for May 25, 2026, as preparations for the 2027 general election continue.
Other notable aspirants in the race include Atiku Abubakar and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. The party has maintained that it has no preferred candidate and may still consider a consensus arrangement before the primary.
