Former Minister of Transportation and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed confidence in his chances of securing the African Democratic Congress presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 election, saying former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may no longer be electorally viable.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday night, Amaechi said that although Atiku had consistently won party primaries, he had failed to convert them into presidential victories.
“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, “The issue is that at all times that you have passed primary, you have not won an election. So it’s about electability.”
Amaechi argued that his own candidacy would present a fresh option to voters because he had never previously contested a presidential election.
“I’ve never run. If nothing else, I can argue that I’ve never run any presidential election,” he said.
The former minister, however, praised both Atiku and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying they would govern Nigeria better than President Bola Tinubu if elected.
“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.
He also accused Tinubu of promoting ethnic considerations in governance, claiming the President was “tribalistic,” while contrasting his approach with that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he described as “a huge nationalist.”
“He’s a Nigerian president. He’s not a Yoruba president,” Amaechi said of Obasanjo.
On zoning, Amaechi said he supported the principle only because Nigeria was still struggling with national unity.
“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, while insisting that every region and minority group in the country must have a sense of belonging.
The former Rivers governor also spoke on insecurity and regional grievances, particularly in the South-East, warning against marginalisation.
“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.
Amaechi further said his vision for governance would focus on national integration, education and equal opportunities across regions, including improving educational infrastructure in northern Nigeria and addressing grievances in the South-East.
His comments come as the African Democratic Congress prepares for its presidential primary scheduled for May 25, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general election.
Other prominent aspirants in the race include Atiku and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, with the party saying it has no preferred candidate and may consider a consensus arrangement before the primary.
