Former Rivers State governor and ex-minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has denied reports that he was offered the vice-presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the party’s controversial 2027 presidential primary.
Amaechi, who contested the primary alongside Atiku Abubakar and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, finished second in the exercise. Atiku was declared winner with 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi secured 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes.
On Tuesday, Amaechi formally rejected the outcome of the primary, alleging irregularities and voter disenfranchisement. He argued that the results did not reflect the democratic values the party had promised to uphold and described the figures as being “concocted”.
Speaking during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Amaechi said his decision to challenge the outcome followed consultations with key stakeholders, including Hayatu-Deen.
According to him, he also met with David Mark, the ADC national chairman, but insisted that discussions about a vice-presidential slot never took place.
“Before the statement was made, there were consultations. We agreed that we should issue the statement. In fact, the final conclusion was between me and Hayatu-Deen,” Amaechi said.
He dismissed claims that he left a meeting with David Mark after being asked to accept the vice-presidential position, describing the reports as false.
“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 said.
Amaechi’s remarks add to the growing controversy surrounding the ADC primary, with Hayatu-Deen also rejecting the results over allegations of manipulation.
Despite the dispute, Atiku recently met with Amaechi in an effort to unify the party ahead of the 2027 general election. The former vice-president said their discussions centred on a shared commitment to “rescue Nigeria” and strengthen the opposition’s prospects ahead of the polls.
