Former Transportation Minister and Presidential aspirant on the ADC platform, Rotimi Amaechi has declared that he is in the presidential race for the ticket and not to be Vice President.
According to him, suggestions that he should step down for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are uncalled for.
Amaechi, Atiku and businessman Hayatudeen Muhammed picked up nomination forms for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The race narrowed to the three of them following the withdrawal of other hopefuls – Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso – from the party.
Amaechi, a former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and ex-Minister of Transportation, said in an interview: “There is nothing like consensus for now. The party leaders have not had any meeting on that. Everybody is preparing for the primary election.”
Amaechi also firmly ruled out accepting a vice-presidential slot under any arrangement within the opposition coalition.
“Please stop that. I did not buy a form to be Vice President,” he said.
Amaechi argued that Nigeria’s current economic and governance challenges require experienced but energetic leadership, noting that many leading political figures are already advanced in age.
According to him, his experience as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Minister of Transportation has equipped him with the administrative capacity needed to govern the country.
On zoning and national inclusion, he argued that Nigeria’s political realities still make power rotation necessary, while stressing the need for every region to feel a sense of belonging within the federation.
“If they have to be in Nigeria, then they must have a sense of belonging,” he said while addressing grievances in the Southeast.
Atiku, who is contesting the ticket alongside him, has criticised the zoning of the presidency as unnecessary.
He said competence, rather than where a candidate comes from, should be paramount.
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