FORMER Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has declared his readiness to take on President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, saying he is confident of victory if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) nominates him as its flagbearer.
News Point Nigeria reports that, speaking on Saturday during an X Spaces conversation, Amaechi said he knows Tinubu’s political strengths and weaknesses and is convinced he can defeat him in a free and fair contest.
“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 declared.
Amaechi stressed that he has never participated in election rigging and has consistently turned down offers to serve on 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.
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.”
The former Rivers State governor alleged that electoral malpractice often involves state governors and the diversion of public funds from government agencies to finance campaigns.
“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 added.
Amaechi vowed to run a clean race and never engage in vote manipulation.
“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 said.
He further challenged any Nigerian to produce proof that he had ever been involved in electoral fraud, promising to publicly apologise if credible evidence emerged.
On the 2023 presidential election results in Rivers State, Amaechi admitted that Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, likely won the state.
“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.