Chief Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transport, has said that President Bola Tinubu will be defeated in 2027 presidential election if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is allowed to participate fully in the election.
Amaechi noted that the presence of the ADC on the ballot would seriously alter the political equation, adding that the outcome of the election would not favour the incumbent, regardless of whether the process is free and fair or otherwise.
“Whether free, fair or unfair and not free, if we [the ADC] are on the ballot, President Bola Tinubu will lose the election, “Amaechi said.
He also criticised what he described as attempts to weaken opposition parties, alleging that government institutions are being used to interfere in their internal affairs ahead of the election.
He said the recent interpretations of a Court of Appeal verdict suggesting that the ADC lacks leadership are flawed, insisting that such positions are being pushed by individuals who do not want strong contenders in the race.
“Amupitan interpreted the Court of Appeal’s judgment as saying that we are leaderless,” he said.
“The problem is, he does not want a strong candidate on the ballot, so what they are doing is that they are interfering with all the parties using the judiciary as an institution.”
“And let them allow all the parties on the ballot and see if they can win,” he added.
The former governor of Rivers State further claimed that the strategy being used is to manipulate institutions, particularly the judiciary, to disrupt opposition parties and limit their chances at the polls.
“The strategy they are using is to use government institutions to disrupt other parties.”
However, Amaechi challenged the ruling party to allow all political parties to contest without interference, maintaining that a level playing field would ultimately determine the true strength of each party in the 2027 election.
