Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, has asked the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to elect a viable presidential candidate capable of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the ADC convention on Tuesday in Abuja, Amaechi urged party members to shun ethnic or religious considerations when choosing a presidential candidate, noting that such a move could undermine efforts to build a formidable coalition.
“If you think president Tinubu will hand over power to you, you are wasting your time. ADC must come together and decide on a viable candidate,” Amaechi said.
“When we joined APC [before 2015], we searched for a viable candidate, and we succeeded. Ethnicity and religion will only take us back to where we started.”
Amaechi also criticised Tinubu’s administration for allegedly stifling opposition.
On Monday, the ADC said it was denied access to the Eagle Square and Moshood Abiola National Stadium for its convention.
The opposition party subsequently announced the Rainbow event centre in Abuja as the venue for the convention.
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But Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC’s national publicity secretary, would later allege that the facility’s management was under pressure from the government officials to cancel the booking.
“Why would a government official try to deny people their constitutional right to gather?” Amaechi asked.
“How can someone [Tinubu] who claims to be a democrat and once aligned with NADECO, now act against democratic principles? If that is what they stood for, then it amounts to an attempt to punish Nigerians.”
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was established in 1994 by pro-democracy activists who called on the military regime of Sani Abacha to relinquish power to the winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The former Rivers governor said public institutions are being used against citizens, adding that the government has failed to address the insecurity and economic hardship facing Nigerians.
“The situation is bad; it is terrible,” Amaechi said.
