A fresh controversy has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after the Southern Political Progressives Amalgamation Forum opposed the choice of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The group warned that Amaechi’s emergence could undermine the party’s electoral prospects, particularly in Southern Nigeria, insisting that he no longer commands the political influence required to strengthen the ticket.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Forum’s Convener, Anga Fidelis, alongside two other leaders, argued that Amaechi would struggle to deliver votes even in his home base of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, questioning his ability to mobilise support across the South-South, South-East and South-West.
“With all due respect, maybe Atiku, even though he is a pan-Nigerian who has businesses, friends, associates and ties across the South-West, South-East and South-South parts of the country, may not be fully abreast with the political reality in the Niger Delta region where Amaechi is from.
“As at today, Amaechi is a political liability and it is a statement of fact that he can not win his Ward in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. When you can’t deliver your Ward, how do you deliver your LGA and ultimately the State?” Fidelis said.
The forum further claimed that Amaechi’s political standing in the Niger Delta had diminished over the years, maintaining that his selection would do little to boost the ADC’s electoral fortunes in the region.
Fidelis also revisited Amaechi’s role in the 2015 general election, alleging that many people in the Niger Delta still blame the former Rivers State governor for the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Amaechi’s sins to his people are legendary and only reinforces why he is a political liability, a conceived tool for failure and a political pariah in his region.
“He was instrumental to the defeat of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the first President of the South South and Ijaw son because of his selfish ambition to become a Minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015,” he stated.
The group maintained that a vice-presidential candidate should complement the presidential flagbearer by bringing electoral value to the ticket rather than depending solely on the popularity of the presidential candidate.
Warning Atiku against what it described as a costly political error, the forum urged the former Vice President to reconsider the choice of Amaechi.
“The mission and vision still remain Tinubu must go. Atiku should be careful not to turn his likely victory to Tinubu’s advantage with such enforced error as making a political dead wood as Amaechi running mate, because that is tantamount to shooting himself in the feet.
“Yes, we agreed Amaechi has a rich political pedigree on paper. He should, as a two-term Governor, two-time Minister, two-term Speaker of the State House of Assembly and Speaker of all Speakers, be expected to, yet in reality they are all good on paper and remain so as paper tiger.
“Since 2015, Amaechi has lost all his political leverage and all he now does is bark and rant on media adventures. Already, we can only envisage the joy at the heart of Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, as he would be relishing another day at the polls to further chase the now chastised cat of Ubima into his shell,” the statement added.
