Former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said he is confident he can beat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race if he secures the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket.
“I tell you, I’ve not had an election against Tinubu. I know Tinubu very well. I know his strengths. I know his weaknesses. And I know that if allowed to fly the flag of ADC, I will defeat Tinubu for sure,” he said.
Amaechi insisted he has steered clear of election rigging, saying he has refused appointments to APC election planning committees and promising to expose what goes on if he wins the ADC ticket.
“I challenge any politician, living or dead, to come forward and say I was part of rigging. In fact, all the appointments given to me by APC to join election planning committees, I have refused to participate. There was no one I participated in. Why? Because I know what they discuss. I listen to them. I hear them. If I get the ticket, I will reveal those things.”
On how rigging is carried out, Amaechi pointed to governors and the use of government agencies for funding, but said he would withhold fuller details until after primaries.
“They will bring governors. They will go to government agencies and get money, but the rest, I don’t want to say it until I win primaries,” he said.
He doubled down on his pledge to end manipulation, saying, “I will never participate in any rigging whatsoever, and I will not do it. What I promise to do now, going forward, is to stop rigging.”
He also invited anyone with proof of his involvement to come forward: “I challenge any Nigerian to produce evidence that I participated in any election rigging, and I will apologise for that.”
On the 2023 vote in Rivers State, Amaechi said, “I would agree to an extent that Peter Obi won in Rivers state, but unfortunately, the result that came out was different. How it happened, I have no idea.”
