Former Rivers State Governor and ADC vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has issued a stern warning to opposition leaders that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election in 2027 could effectively end the political careers of the current crop of ADC leaders. Speaking at the ADC National Women League Conference in Abuja, Amaechi charged party members to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election. He emphasised that the political survival of the current crop of ADC leaders depends on their ability to defeat the ruling APC at the presidential poll.
Amaechi urged ADC members to return to their respective states and wards to begin mobilising voters, insisting that victory would not be secured from Abuja alone. He stressed that every member of the party must take responsibility for delivering votes from their respective wards, adding that the presidential election would be determined by effective grassroots mobilisation. According to Amaechi, if party members bring 2,000 votes per ward, they would have won the election.
The former Transport Minister also attacked the Tinubu administration over the rising cost of living, poverty, and the number of out-of-school children. He claimed that the number of out-of-school children had increased from between 10 million and 12 million when he left government to about 20 million presently. Amaechi attributed the situation to the policies of the Tinubu administration, saying the impact of economic hardship was particularly severe in northern Nigeria.
Amaechi used the occasion to recall how the APC mobilised women and other grassroots supporters in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election, when Muhammadu Buhari defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and the APC took power at the centre. He said women played a significant role in the mobilisation that helped the opposition party defeat the PDP at the time. According to Amaechi, the ADC must adopt a similar grassroots approach if it hopes to challenge the APC in 2027.
The former governor called on northern voters to participate actively in the 2027 election, arguing that a strong turnout against the APC could alter the political equation. He urged northern voters in particular to take the 2027 contest seriously, arguing that their votes would determine the outcome of the presidential election. Amaechi stated that if all the women in the north come out to vote, Tinubu cannot announce any result.
Also speaking at the conference, Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar urged ADC women to remain committed to the opposition party and embark on grassroots mobilisation across the country. She charged the women to convince their friends, neighbours, and other voters to support the ADC, while warning them against intimidation. According to her, the worsening cost of living should motivate them to work harder to ensure a change in government.
Amaechi announced that he would personally participate in campaigns across several states, including Kebbi, Yola, Rivers, and Delta, particularly in governorship contests. He explained that the success of an ADC presidential administration would depend largely on its ability to work with governors elected on the party's platform.
Key points
- Rotimi Amaechi warns ADC leaders that President Tinubu's re-election in 2027 could end their political careers.
- Amaechi charges party members to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.
- The former governor criticises the Tinubu administration over the rising cost of living, poverty, and the number of out-of-school children.
