ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi urged party leaders to return to their wards and intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Former Rivers State governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has told party leaders that they would be “retired from politics” if President Bola Tinubu wins the 2027 presidential election.
Amaechi made the remarks on Wednesday, September 30, while addressing the ADC National Women League Conference in Abuja, where he urged party members to leave Abuja and return to their states, local government areas and wards to mobilise voters.
“We the crop of leaders you see here, if APC wins the 2027 elections, we are retired from politics,” Amaechi said.
“So if you don’t want us to retire from politics, we must go home.”
His remarks were made in the context of the ADC's campaign strategy ahead of the 2027 general election and his call for stronger grassroots mobilisation.
Amaechi calls for ward-level mobilisation
Amaechi challenged ADC supporters to focus on generating votes at the ward level rather than relying solely on national-level political activities.
He suggested a target of 2,000 votes per ward, telling supporters that accumulating votes across wards would strengthen the party's position in the presidential contest.
He also said he would personally participate in campaigns across several states, including Kebbi, Yola, Rivers and Delta, and argued that winning governorship elections would also be important to any presidential administration.
“The presidential candidate cannot govern without the governors,” he said.
The remarks formed part of a broader appeal for ADC members to build the party's organisation at the grassroots.
Amaechi recalls APC's 2015 campaign
Amaechi drew on his experience as a senior figure in the APC during the party's successful 2015 campaign against the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He recalled how APC campaigners mobilised women across the country and urged ADC members to reproduce that kind of grassroots organisation for the 2027 contest.
Amaechi was a prominent member of the political coalition that helped the APC defeat President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
He later served as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He is now campaigning on the ADC ticket alongside the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. The ADC formally announced Amaechi as its vice-presidential candidate in June 2026.
ADC steps up campaign activities
The ADC has been building its campaign structure ahead of the 2027 election, with the National Women's League forming part of its grassroots mobilisation effort.
Amaechi's address focused heavily on the role of women in delivering votes for the opposition party.
Other speakers at the Abuja conference also urged women to mobilise voters in their communities and participate actively in the election.
Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar, wife of the ADC presidential candidate, also spoke at the event, urging women to take the campaign to rural communities and resist attempts to influence their votes through inducements.
What Amaechi's statement means
Amaechi's statement was a political warning directed at ADC leaders rather than a formal announcement that he or the other party leaders would automatically leave politics if the APC wins.
His wording suggested that he believes another APC victory would significantly weaken the political position of the current opposition leadership.
The statement also reflects the competitive nature of the 2027 presidential contest, with the APC seeking another term for Tinubu and the ADC presenting Atiku and Amaechi as its presidential ticket.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are currently scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The election outcome will ultimately be determined by votes cast and officially declared through the electoral process.
For now, Amaechi's message to ADC leaders is clear: return to the grassroots, mobilise voters and work to prevent another APC victory.
