2027: ADC Vice Presidential Candidate Amaechi Reveals Why Opposition Coalition Is Difficult
Former Rivers State Governor and vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed why efforts by opposition political parties and leaders to forge a united coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections have remained difficult.
Amaechi identified personal political ambitions and the unwillingness of some opposition figures to make sacrifices as major obstacles to building a formidable alliance capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He spoke on Monday during a panel discussion at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, where he represented the ADC presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
“Coalition as it is today is difficult to achieve. If it is possible, I am sure that Vice President Atiku Abubakar would be willing to participate,” Amaechi said.
Explaining why attempts to unite opposition forces have proved difficult, the former Rivers governor said individual ambitions remained a major stumbling block.
“The difficulty in it is that everybody has ambition; nobody wants to give up,” he said.
The ADC has emerged as the platform around which several opposition figures have sought to build a coalition to challenge the APC in the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, who contested the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 and 2023, is now the ADC presidential candidate, with Amaechi as his running mate.
Opposition leaders have repeatedly discussed the possibility of presenting a single presidential candidate in 2027, but disagreements over leadership and individual presidential ambitions have continued to complicate efforts to reach a consensus.
Amaechi said Atiku would be willing to participate in a broader coalition if an agreement could be reached, but acknowledged that persuading political actors to abandon their individual ambitions would not be easy.
He also argued that any credible coalition should be built around competence, performance and the track records of those seeking to lead the country.
“A coalition should be based on performance and track record,” he said.
Amaechi further urged Nigerians to assess candidates based on their previous performance in public office rather than ethnicity, political sentiment or other considerations.
“If we can’t perform, don’t vote for us,” he said.
“Assess us by our last performance and choose, not just vote because you are from Ikwerre or Omoku and choose your candidate.”
The former Minister of Transportation also criticised members of the political class whom he accused of seeking public office primarily for personal benefit rather than service to the country.
“There are few politicians who are in love with Nigeria. What the politicians are doing is to come in and milk the country dry,” Amaechi said.
He defended his record as governor of Rivers State, maintaining that projects initiated during his administration were still ongoing.
The panel discussion also witnessed a heated exchange between Amaechi and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore over the records of former public office holders.
Sowore challenged politicians who had previously occupied public offices to account for their performance, while Amaechi defended his record in government.
The exchanges formed part of wider political discussions at the NBA conference, which has brought together prominent political figures and other stakeholders as political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference, themed “Beyond Limits,” is being held in Port Harcourt from August 21 to 28.
