Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared himself the most qualified and electable presidential aspirant in the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ex-Minister of Transportation cited his extensive leadership experience and relative youth.
Speaking on ARISE News on Friday, Amaechi positioned himself as a formidable option within the ADC, which is shaping up to be a crowded field that includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Northern Nigeria Development Company boss, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
When asked why the ADC should choose him over more prominent aspirants like Atiku and Hayatu-Deen, Amaechi pointed to his leadership track record.
“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 ex-governor also criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress administration, accusing President Bola Tinubu of deliberately creating hunger as a political tool 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 alleged that the APC is undermining 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 questioned.
Amaechi stated that his first priority if elected president would be the enforcement of 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 stated.
