2027: Atiku, Amaechi submit ADC presidential forms

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday submitted their presidential nomination forms at the national secretariat of the African Democratic Congress in Abuja.

Mr Atiku, in a post shared on his X handle on Thursday, said his presidential bid represents a broader movement aimed at restoring national prosperity and rebuilding Nigeria.

Mr Amaechi, on his part, pledged to turn the country around within four years if elected, arguing that competence, experience and performance—not ethnicity or political sentiment—should determine the 2027 contest.

Their declarations come as the ADC continues to attract high-profile politicians ahead of the next general elections, amid intensifying political realignments across the country.

Speaking after submitting his form at the ADC national headquarters in Abuja, Mr Atiku wrote, “The march to restore prosperity and better days to our beloved nation took a firm and decisive step forward today at the national secretariat of our great party, the African Democratic Congress.”

The former vice president said the movement transcended politics and was focused on national renewal and hope.

“This is more than a political journey; it is a national movement rooted in hope, renewal, and the collective resolve to save Nigeria from despair,” he stated.

He also called on Nigerians across ethnic, religious and regional divides to support the movement.

“I call on all Nigerians, regardless of region, faith, or background, to join us in this noble cause. Together, we will restore the promise of our nation and bring good times back again,” he added.

2027 race

Mr Amaechi pledged to transform Nigeria within four years if elected in the 2027 general election.

The former Rivers State governor made the promise shortly after submitting his nomination forms, where he also took a swipe at the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, blaming it for the country’s worsening economic hardship.

Mr Amaechi said the 2027 election should be based on competence, experience and performance rather than ethnic or regional sentiments.

“What Nigerians should do is assess all of us who are running for office based on our records.

“Nearly everybody who is running for the office of the president has served Nigeria in one way or another. Let this be a referendum. If you have performed, whoever has outperformed the other, vote for the person,” he said.

Mr Amaechi argued that his years in public office had prepared him for the task of leading the country, citing his tenure as governor and later as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The next thing is, who is capable of delivering the votes? Who is capable of beating the incumbent? Who has the experience? I believe I am the most experienced.

“I am young, I am the most experienced, and I believe I have the capacity.

“Go back to Rivers State and see what I have done. Go back to the Ministry of Transportation and see what I have done, and assess it and see whether I can turn the country around. And I will, in four years, turn the country around,” he declared.

Mr Amaechi, who served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, was a key figure in the formation of the All Progressives Congress and later served as Director-General of former President Buhari’s 2015 campaign.

As Minister of Transportation between 2015 and 2023, he oversaw major railway projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, although critics questioned the rising debt associated with some of the infrastructure projects.

Speaking on the state of the nation, the former minister criticised what he described as the growing hardship under the Tinubu administration, saying Nigerians were bearing the brunt of economic policies that had worsened living conditions.

“Nigerians should vote for merit, not vote for those who say, ‘I’m from this place’ or ‘it is our turn.’

“It is the ‘Emilokan’ mentality that brought us here. It is our turn that brought us here. Now Nigerians are suffering,” he said.