‘I Didn’t Buy ADC Form to Be VP,’ Amaechi Dismisses Speculation

ABUJA, NIGERIA – Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has firmly dismissed claims that he was offered the vice-presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following his loss in the party’s presidential primary, declaring that nobody has ever proposed that role to him because political actors understand his value . Speaking in an exclusive interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo on the “#WithChude” platform at his Abuja residence as he marked his 61st birthday, Amaechi addressed growing political speculation surrounding his future after coming second in the ADC presidential primary . “No one has asked me to be VP,” Amaechi said firmly . He explained that before he released his statement rejecting the outcome of the ADC presidential primary, he and fellow aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen held consultations and both agreed on the approach .

“I went to see the national chairman of ADC. After our discussion, he walked me to the exit door, I shook his hands and I left. We discussed something different from what they wrote about,” Amaechi revealed, referring to Senator David Mark, the ADC National Chairman . “But people said I stormed out after he told me to run for VP. But I am not joking; nobody has ever told me to be vice-president because they know my worth and what will be my reaction,” he added . Amaechi’s denial comes amid swirling rumours that the ADC leadership had attempted to placate him with the vice-presidential slot after Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party’s presidential flagbearer. The former minister’s rejection of the VP speculation is inseparable from his outright rejection of the ADC presidential primary outcome. The primary election, held on Monday, May 25, 2026, saw Atiku Abubakar declared winner with 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen secured 177,120 votes . Daily Trust reported slightly different figures: Atiku 1,855,787, Amaechi 509,397, and Hayatu-Deen 180,903.

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However, immediately after the exercise, Amaechi took to his X handle to denounce the process. “Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi wrote . He listed manipulation of results, failure of the process to reflect the values ADC pledged to uphold, the exclusion of about eighty percent of party members from voting, vote buying, rigging, and writing of results as his reasons for rejecting the primaries . “I had initially stated that I will only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent, and I stand by my word. I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold,” he added . The former Rivers governor argued that a party criticising the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging, and writing of results cannot engage in the same electoral malpractices .

In a strongly worded interview, Amaechi remained defiant, stating: “I stand by what I said about ‘concocted results’,” while clarifying that he remains a member of the ADC . “But I am still a member of ADC,” he added, suggesting that while he disputes the process, he has not yet exited the party . He also used the interview to reflect on his political record, insisting he is different from politicians driven only by personal gain. “People say politicians lie, but I don’t lie. My record speaks for me,” he said .

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who came third in the primary, also rejected the exercise. “I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” he stated . The collation of results was initially suspended on Tuesday night after results from 25 states had been announced before resuming on Wednesday . Adding to the voices of dissent, an ADC chieftain and supporter of Amaechi’s presidential bid, Ibrahim Garba Wala, backed the former minister’s rejection of the primary process, describing the exercise as flawed and lacking credibility . Wala, who monitored the presidential primary in Gombe State, wrote extensively about what he witnessed. “What we witnessed during the primary elections was not a democratic primary; it was a brazen, shameless auction that betrayed every value the ADC promised to uphold,” he alleged . He detailed irregularities including “The Hotel Situation Room,” where party officials treated a hotel room “exactly like a clandestine situation room where the state party leadership retired after their field day to finish their manipulative work behind closed doors” . He also accused the process of “weaponizing religion and region against the poor,” alleging that in Gombe State, the election was engineered so that “only a homogeneous crowd of predominantly Muslim men and women were present, without a single Christian or representative of other native tribes in attendance” .

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Despite the growing crisis, Atiku Abubakar has made efforts to unify the party. On Thursday, May 28, 2026, he visited Amaechi at his Abuja residence, accompanied by Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal . Atiku disclosed the visit in a post on his Facebook page, describing Amaechi as “my brother and compatriot” and stating that both men held “deep and honest conversations” about Nigeria’s worsening economic and security situation . “Beyond the warmth and camaraderie, we had deep and honest conversations about the troubling state of our nation, the growing economic pain, insecurity, and the urgent responsibility on patriotic Nigerians to continue engaging in the search for solutions that can rescue our country from drift and despair,” Atiku wrote . The former vice president also noted that he felicitated Amaechi on his birthday and exchanged banters over Arsenal Football Club’s recent triumph . However, a source close to Atiku told Premium Times that Amaechi remained noncommittal during the meeting. “He only listened to our principal, exchanged banters with him and said he would make his decision on the ADC presidential ticket known after consulting his associates and supporters,” the source said. “He, however, assured our man that whatever decision he makes would be in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians” .

The dispute has deepened divisions within the opposition coalition that recently rallied around the ADC as a possible platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 . Political observers note that Amaechi, a former director-general of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaigns, is considered one of the influential political figures whose support could shape the emerging opposition coalition . Some stakeholders in the party, who are loyal to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, have warned of the eminent implosion in the ADC, calling on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Sen. David Mark to address the grievances generated by the brazen manipulation in the primaries . They warned that if nothing is done, they will be left with no option than to work against the party in 2027 . For now, Amaechi has made two things clear: he was never offered the VP slot, and he will not accept what he calls a “concocted” primary result. Whether he will remain in the ADC or seek other political platforms remains an open question as the opposition coalition teeters on the brink of fragmentation.

‘I Didn’t Buy ADC Form to Be VP,’ Amaechi Dismisses Speculation