Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed reports claiming he was offered the vice-presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), amid growing controversy over the party’s presidential primary.
Amaechi contested the ADC 2027 presidential primary alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
According to results announced after the exercise, Atiku emerged winner with 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi reportedly scored 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes.
However, the former Rivers State governor has rejected the outcome, describing the process as flawed and alleging voter disenfranchisement and irregularities.
In a statement earlier in the week, the former minister said the results were “concocted” and did not reflect the principles the party claimed to uphold.
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Speaking in an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, he said claims that he was offered the ADC vice-presidential ticket were false and misleading.
He said discussions within the party had been misrepresented by some commentators.
“Before the statement was made, there were consultations. We agreed that we should issue the statement. In fact, the final conclusion was between me and Hayatu-Deen,” he said.
The former governor added that he met with the ADC national leadership but insisted that no discussion about a vice-presidential slot took place.
“I went to see the national chairman of ADC. After our discussion, he walked me to the exit door, I shook his hands and I left. We discussed something different from what they wrote about,” he said.
“But people said I stormed out after he told me to run for VP. But I am not joking; nobody has ever told me to be vice-president because they know my worth and what will be my reaction.”
The dispute comes amid rising tension over the ADC primary, with Hayatu-Deen also rejecting the outcome and alleging irregularities in the process.
Despite the controversy, Atiku and Amaechi reportedly met later in the week in what was described as an effort to promote unity within the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
