Leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the South-South region have endorsed former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as a candidate for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket, intensifying the contest and presenting a challenge to other southern aspirants like Peter Obi.
The announcement was made by John Odigie-Oyegun, a party chieftain and former APC national chairman, during the ADC South-South consultative meeting in Benin City, Edo State. Odigie-Oyegun said Amaechi formally informed regional leaders of his intention to contest, receiving unanimous support from stakeholders.
Amaechi had previously declared in July 2025 that he would serve only a single term if elected and has consistently argued that the party should present a southern candidate, emphasizing that the South should complete an eight-year tenure before power returns to the North. He also cautioned that fielding a northern candidate now could weaken ADC’s appeal in the region.
Amaechi had contested the APC presidential ticket in 2022, finishing second to President Bola Tinubu after other aspirants stepped down.
The South-South endorsement is expected to influence internal negotiations and alignments as the ADC moves toward its presidential primaries for the 2027 general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had asked parties to hold primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, but the ADC rejected the timeline, claiming it favors the ruling party and creates obstacles for opposition candidates. Bolaji Abdullahi of the ADC described Section 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, which bars parties that fail to submit membership registers from fielding candidates, as exclusionary rather than administrative.
