Amaechi Talks About Challenges of Opposition Unity Ahead of 2027 Elections

Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that it is hard for opposition politicians to come together for a united coalition before the 2027 general elections. He blamed this on the personal ambitions of individual political leaders.

Amaechi spoke on Monday during a panel at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt. He was there to represent the ADC presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“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,” Amaechi said.

He pointed out that personal ambitions are a major barrier to forming the coalition. “The difficulty in it is that everybody has ambition; nobody wants to give up,” he noted.

The ADC has become a platform for several opposition figures who want to unite against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. Atiku, who ran for president under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 and 2023, is now the ADC’s presidential candidate, with Amaechi as his running mate.

The opposition has talked about the need to present a single presidential candidate in 2027. But disagreements on who should lead the coalition have made this difficult.

Amaechi’s words show one big challenge the opposition faces: convincing key politicians with presidential ambitions to step aside for a common candidate. He mentioned that Atiku would be ready to join a coalition if the right conditions were set.

Still, he recognized that reaching such an agreement would be tough because many politicians do not want to give up their ambitions. The former minister also said that any coalition must be based on the politicians’ performance and track records.

“A coalition should be based on performance and track record,” he said. He urged Nigerians to judge politicians based on their accomplishments, not their ethnicity or political ties.

“If we can’t perform, don’t vote for us,” he said. He advised voters to look at what candidates have done in their previous roles before choosing who to support in 2027.

“Assess us by our last performance and choose, not just vote because you are from Ikwerre or Omoku and choose your candidate,” he added.

The former governor also criticized some politicians, claiming they seek public office for personal gain. “There are few politicians who are in love with Nigeria. What the politicians are doing is to come in and milk the country dry,” Amaechi said.

He defended his record as Rivers State governor, saying projects his administration started are still active. The NBA conference also featured a heated debate between Amaechi and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore about the records of former public officials.

Sowore challenged politicians who held public office to explain their records, while Amaechi defended his achievements. These discussions were part of wider political talks at the NBA conference, which brought together many notable politicians before the 2027 elections.

The NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference, themed “Beyond Limits,” is happening in Port Harcourt from August 21 to 28.