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 former Minister of Transportation based his argument on his broad leadership experience and comparatively younger age.
According to media reports on Friday, Amaechi presented himself as a strong contender within the ADC, which is gradually becoming a competitive platform with aspirants such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Northern Nigeria Development Company chief, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
When asked why the ADC should choose him ahead of more prominent contenders like Atiku and Hayatu-Deen, Amaechi highlighted his leadership credentials.
“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 faulted the ruling APC administration, accusing President Bola Tinubu of intentionally worsening hardship to influence voters politically.
“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 also alleged that the APC was weakening the opposition by using state and political institutions against rival parties.
“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 said that if elected president, his top priority would be restoring respect for 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.
