…Urges caution on zoning
Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, has pledged to support whoever that emerges as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, but cautioned the party against ignoring Nigeria’s delicate zoning realities.
Speaking in Kano while responding to questions about his stance on the party’s eventual flagbearer, Amaechi said party unity remains paramount but stressed that strategic considerations would be critical to the ADC’s electoral success.
“I will support whoever emerges. But I also advise the ADC to look around and identify the best material that can convince Nigerians that things will be turned around,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor outlined three key factors the party must weigh in selecting its candidate, capacity, age and prevailing power dynamics.
According to him, beyond competence and generational appeal, the ADC must recognise what he described as the “unwritten law” that power is currently in the South.
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“First is capacity. Second is age. Third, which is the last point, is to respect the unwritten law of power that is now in the South,” Amaechi said.
He argued that acknowledging the current rotation principle would make it easier for southern politicians and voters to rally behind the party.
Fielding a northern candidate at a time when many in the South believe power should remain there, he warned, could complicate the ADC’s outreach in the region.
“If you elect somebody from the North, I’m not saying we won’t campaign, but it will be difficult to convince the South to give up power,” he said, noting that questions would arise over why zoning concerns surface only when power shifts southward.
Despite his reservations, Amaechi reaffirmed his commitment to party cohesion, insisting that regional considerations would not override his loyalty to the party’s democratic process.
“Whether it is a Southerner or a Northerner is immaterial; I will support whoever emerges at the primary,” he maintained.
Ameachi, who has declared his intention to seek the ADC presidential ticket, had earlier pledged to serve a single four-year term if elected, to allow power return to the North in line with the informal rotation arrangement.
Similarly, Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor, also now in the ADC, has promised a single term if given the mandate.
