The vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has urged Nigerians to make capacity and performance the basis of their choice in the 2027 general elections, saying voters should reject the party if it fails to deliver.
Amaechi made the remarks on Monday during a panel session at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“ADC provides a different kind of leadership completely. If we can’t perform, don’t vote for us,” the former Rivers State governor told participants.
His comments come ahead of the 2027 elections, amid growing calls for opposition parties to unite and challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Opposition parties had met in Ibadan, Oyo State, last year and agreed on the need to field a single presidential candidate. However, they are yet to reach a consensus on who should represent the coalition in next year’s election.
Speaking on the difficulty of achieving a coalition, Amaechi said the ambitions of individual politicians remained a major obstacle.
“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. But the difficulty in it is that everybody has ambition; nobody wants to give up,” he said.
He added that only a few politicians were genuinely committed to the country, accusing some of seeking political power primarily to exploit national resources.
The former minister also defended his record in public office, arguing that projects executed under his administration in Rivers State remain visible.
Amaechi, who represented ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar at the conference, urged Nigerians to reject ethnic considerations and instead assess political candidates based on their records and capacity to deliver.
“A coalition should be based on performance,” 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 ADC vice-presidential candidate added.
