The African Democratic Congress has pledged to develop the proposed Gelegele Seaport in Edo State and revive other deep seaport projects across Nigeria if elected in the 2027 general election.

The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, made the commitment on Thursday during an ADC stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State, while responding to questions on whether an ADC-led government would develop Gelegele Seaport to the standard of the Lekki Deep Seaport.

Mr Amaechi said the development of deep seaports would be a priority under an ADC administration, arguing that several projects approved under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had yet to reach completion because of funding constraints.

He listed proposed projects in Bonny, Akwa Ibom and Warri, in addition to Gelegele, saying an ADC government would ensure that they were constructed.

“We didn’t quite raise all the money to construct them. Will ADC government do anything? Yes, we will ensure that all those seaports are constructed. They are not too expensive,” he said.

According to Mr Amaechi, between $400m and $500m could be sufficient to commence construction of the proposed seaports, with the facilities subsequently expanded.

He specifically assured stakeholders that Gelegele Seaport would receive attention if the ADC wins the 2027 election.

“When ADC government wins, I, as a vice president, will put it on the table for the president to approve,” Mr Amaechi said.

Amaechi claims credit for Lekki Deep Seaport

The former Minister of Transportation also claimed that he supervised the construction of the Lekki Deep Seaport from its beginning to completion while serving under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I built Lekki Deep Seaport from scratch to finish. I finished it completely, but I had resigned to contest for the office of the president, that’s why Sanwo-Olu got Buhari to come and commission it,” he said.

Mr Amaechi alleged that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, President Bola Tinubu and others subsequently took credit for the project.

“And when they were commissioning, Sanwo-Olu and others including Tinubu were claiming that they built it. None of them visited it from scratch,” he said.

He, however, acknowledged that the concept for the Lekki project predated the Buhari administration, tracing it to the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Buhari approved the construction of that seaport, but it was essentially an Obasanjo’s idea, even though it was built by Buhari,” Mr Amaechi said.

The proposed expansion of Nigeria’s seaport infrastructure comes amid broader efforts to reduce pressure on the Lagos port corridor and create additional gateways for international trade.

The Federal Government recently approved the modernisation of the Onne, Rivers, Delta and Calabar ports, alongside earlier approvals for Apapa and Tin Can Island. The government said the upgrades were intended to improve cargo handling, reduce vessel turnaround times and strengthen regional connectivity.

The Ijaw Youth Council has also recently called for greater attention to deep-seaport projects across the Niger Delta, including Gelegele, Agge, Brass, Warri, Burutu, Ibom and Onne, arguing that expanded maritime infrastructure could support trade, investment and job creation.

Mr Amaechi is running as the vice-presidential candidate of the ADC alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election. The party has positioned the ticket around economic recovery, job creation, security and national development.

His latest promise on Gelegele and other seaports therefore forms part of the opposition party’s broader campaign argument that expanding infrastructure and economic corridors can drive investment and employment.