Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that he is the most qualified and most electable aspirant seeking the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amaechi said his chances stand out among other contenders, pointing to his years of leadership experience as well as his relative youth compared to other political figures in the race.
He made the remarks during an interview on ARISE News on Friday, where he positioned himself as a strong contender within the ADC, a party that already features notable aspirants such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Northern Nigeria Development Company chief, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
When asked why the party should consider him above other high-profile aspirants, Amaechi defended his credentials by referencing his political history and leadership roles.
“I’m the most experienced of them all. I’m the youngest but most experienced.
“I have been chairman of the Governors’ Forum. None of them, including President Tinubu, has been chairman of the Governors’ Forum because he was once a governor,” he said.
He added, “I’ve been chairman of the Speakers’ Forum. None of them has been… In fact, President Tinubu was partially in the parliament as a senator. But how long was he a senator? And what positions did he hold in the Senate? But I held not just the speaker
“I ran the Speakers’ Conference. I established the Speakers’ Conference office in Abuja. And I ran this thing for two terms.
“I was, in the second term, asked to come and be chairman again. I became the first chairman to have a second tenure as chairman of the Governors’ Forum. And you saw how controversial it was.
“The president then didn’t want me to come back. I remember the president calling me one day. ‘You have turned the Governors’ Forum into a labour union.’
“And I said, no, sir, I’m just a public relations officer because your governor is a member. So it’s what the governors decided that I just announced.”
The former governor also criticised the current administration of the All Progressives Congress, accusing President Bola Tinubu of using hardship as a political strategy to influence voters.
“The president is creating hunger as a way of manipulating voters. On that day, city boys will bring a bag of rice and some people will eat that rice and vote for them because a bag of rice does not solve hunger for the rest of the year,” he said.
He further alleged that the ruling party is weakening the opposition by influencing political and governmental institutions against them.
“If they say they are strong, why are they not allowing the opposition to have their political parties? Why are they influencing the political and government institutions against the opposition? Why won’t they leave the rule of law?” he questioned.
Amaechi stated that if elected president, his immediate focus would be restoring law and order across the country.
“The first thing I would do as president of Nigeria is the rule of law. It has to be law and order,” he stated.