THE race for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections gathered momentum on Friday as key leaders of the party in the South-South region endorsed former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
News Point Nigeria reports that the endorsement is expected to tighten the internal contest for the party’s presidential nomination and could pose a fresh challenge for other prominent southern aspirants, including Peter Obi.
The development was disclosed by a chieftain of the party and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, at the ADC South-South leaders’ consultative meeting held in Benin City, Edo State.
According to Odigie-Oyegun, Amaechi used the meeting to formally inform leaders from the region of his intention to contest the presidency in 2027.
“We are glad that our son, Rotimi Amaechi, took advantage of this meeting to brief us formally of his intention to run for the presidency of our great nation,” Odigie-Oyegun said.
He added that leaders of the zone were impressed by Amaechi’s decision to first consult his region before building campaign structures nationwide.
“We were very pleased. We thanked him for the respect he has for the leaders of the zone — for not setting up his own personal structures without first informing his people,” he said.
Odigie-Oyegun declared that the response from stakeholders was unanimous, stating that the zone resolved to give Amaechi “all the support that he needs in pursuit of his ambition.”
He further revealed that the South-South leaders would continue to meet regularly to harmonise positions and strengthen their influence within the party.
Amaechi had, in July 2025, publicly declared his willingness to serve a single four-year term if he secures the ADC ticket and wins the 2027 presidential election.
He has consistently argued that the party should field a southern candidate in line with the principle of power rotation.
According to him, the South should be allowed to complete an eight-year tenure before power shifts back to the North. He has warned that presenting a northern candidate at a time when many Southerners believe power should remain in the South could weaken the ADC’s electoral appeal across the region.
Amaechi previously contested for the presidential ticket of the APC in 2022 but lost to incumbent President Bola Tinubu. Unlike several aspirants who stepped down in support of Tinubu, Amaechi remained in the race and finished second.
His latest move within the ADC signals a renewed push for the presidency, this time under a different political platform.
The South-South endorsement is expected to intensify internal negotiations, alliances, and realignments within the ADC as the party prepares for its presidential primaries.
The timeline for party primaries has already become a subject of controversy. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) directed political parties to conduct their primaries for the 2027 elections between April 23 and May 30, 2026.
However, the ADC rejected the timetable, accusing INEC of conferring undue advantage on the ruling party.
Party spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi described the election schedule as creating an “almost impossible hurdle” that could prevent opposition parties from fielding candidates.
He specifically cited Section 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated period “shall not be eligible to field a candidate.” According to him, the provision is exclusionary rather than merely administrative.