Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has boldly claimed he can defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if he secures the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket.
Speaking on Saturday during an X Spaces discussion, Amaechi claimed to know both Tinubu’s strengths and weaknesses well.
“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 also strongly denied ever participating in election rigging, insisting he has consistently rejected appointments to the All Progressives Congress (APC) election planning committees.
“I challenge any politician, living or dead, to come forward and say I was part of rigging,” he stated. “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 electoral malpractice, Amaechi accused some state governors and government agencies of diverting public funds to manipulate elections.
“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 reiterated his commitment to fair elections, vowing never to take part in rigging.
“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,” Amaechi added.
The former governor of Rivers State also challenged anyone to prove he had been involved in rigging, promising to apologize if evidence surfaced.
Amaechi acknowledged that Labour Party’s Peter Obi won Rivers State in the 2023 election but said the official result did not reflect that outcome.
“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,” he said.
