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| Rotimi Amaechi |
Leaders of the South-South zonal chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have denied claims that they formally endorsed former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement on Saturday, the South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mabel Oboh, described reports of an endorsement as “misleading, undemocratic, and a troubling example of how selective narratives can distort political reality.”
The clarification followed a meeting on 27 February at the residence of ADC national leader Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in Benin City, which brought together party elders and representatives from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States.
Oboh said the gathering was aimed at strengthening internal cohesion, deepening grassroots mobilisation and positioning the party strategically ahead of future contests — but was not intended, nor did it result, in the endorsement of any presidential aspirant.
She stressed that during the session, no motion was moved, no resolution adopted, no vote taken, and no consensus reached to back Amaechi or any other aspirant. “Consultation is not endorsement, and courtesy is not coronation,” Oboh said, emphasising that the meeting was a respectful briefing rather than a political endorsement.
Oboh also argued that caricaturing the meeting as an endorsement undermines the democratic processes of the party and misleads the public about ADC’s internal procedures.
The ADC has said the power to nominate and elect its presidential candidate resides with its constitutionally recognised organs and members, not with regional consultations.
At the meeting, Amaechi informed the zonal leadership of his intention to seek the party’s presidential ticket a move Oboh described as a courtesy visit rather than evidence of any formal backing.
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