Amaechi Says He's the Best Choice for ADC Presidential Ticket

Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi believes he is the best candidate for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 elections.

Amaechi highlighted his strong leadership experience and his youth as key advantages.

In an interview on ARISE News on Friday, he described himself as a serious contender in the ADC. This party is shaping up to be competitive, with big names like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-boss of the Northern Nigeria Development Company, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

When asked why the ADC should pick him over more recognized candidates like Atiku and Hayatu-Deen, Amaechi pointed to his record in leadership.

"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 continued, "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 labor 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 took aim at the ruling All Progressives Congress government. He accused President Bola Tinubu of creating hunger to manipulate 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 claimed that the APC is attacking the opposition by influencing political and government 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 asked.

Amaechi stated that if he becomes president, his first focus would be on law and order.

"The first thing I would do as president of Nigeria is the rule of law. It has to be law and order," he said.