Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has disclosed what he believes could happen to him and other opposition leaders if President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) win the 2027 presidential election.
Amaechi made the disclosure on Wednesday while addressing members of the ADC National Women League Conference in Abuja, where he urged party supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.
According to him, opposition leaders must move beyond Abuja and return to their respective states, wards and communities to build support for the ADC.
Amaechi said the 2027 election could determine whether some of the opposition figures currently active in Nigerian politics would continue in partisan politics.
He stated:
“If you are not from FCT, go home and campaign. Me, I am going on Wednesday. I will not wear a suit, I will dress like a young man.
“Let me tell you what will happen, we the crop of leaders you see here, if APC wins the 2027 elections, we are retired from politics. So if you don’t want us to retire from politics, we must go home.
“If you bring two thousand votes per ward, just bring two thousand votes and we have won the election.”
Amaechi also referred to the political mobilisation that preceded the 2015 presidential election, when the APC defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and formed the Federal Government.
He argued that the ADC would need a similar grassroots strategy if it is to mount a serious challenge in 2027.
The former Minister of Transportation particularly highlighted the role of women in mobilising voters at the ward and community levels, stressing that major political rallies alone would not determine the outcome of a presidential election.
Amaechi said he would personally campaign in several states, including Kebbi, Yola, Rivers and Delta, in support of ADC candidates.
“We will not take any election lightly. You will see me in Kebbi, Yola, Rivers, Delta fighting for the governorship elections, because the presidential candidate cannot govern without the governors,” he said.
The ADC is fielding former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate, with Amaechi as his running mate.
Amaechi had initially contested the ADC presidential primary but later accepted the vice-presidential slot after Atiku emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.
His comments come as opposition politicians prepare for the 2027 election under different political platforms.
At the conference, Amaechi also criticised the economic situation in the country and encouraged ADC supporters, particularly women, to remain committed to the party’s grassroots mobilisation efforts.
He recalled the role played by grassroots supporters during the APC’s successful 2015 campaign and urged ADC members to adopt a similar approach as the 2027 election approaches.
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