Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, says the African Democratic Congress (ADC) should conduct a presidential primary if he is not adopted as the party’s consensus candidate.
Speaking to journalists after submitting his presidential nomination form at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Amaechi said he remained the most experienced aspirant in the race.
“I am only for primary,” he said.
“If the consensus is me, fine. But if it is not me, I am going for primary.”
The former Rivers governor urged party members and Nigerians to assess aspirants based on their performance in previous public offices rather than ethnic or regional considerations.
“Judge us by what we have done,” he said.
“If we have performed, whoever has performed the most, vote for the person.”
Amaechi argued that the country needed competence and leadership capacity instead of identity politics.
“Nigerians should vote for merit,” he said.
“They shouldn’t vote for those who say I am from this place or that place.”
He also criticised the politics of zoning and entitlement.
“Saying it is our turn is what brought us here,” he said.
“It is now the turn of Nigerians.”
According to Amaechi, economic hardship has affected Nigerians across religious and regional lines.
“There is no market for Christians, no market for Muslims, no market for northerners or southerners,” he said.
“The market here has just one voice — currency — and Nigerians are suffering.”
The former minister blamed the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the country’s economic difficulties.
“The current president has visited us with suffering,” he said.
“I don’t know why he wants to run again. I don’t even know why APC wants to participate.”
Amaechi further defended his presidential ambition by pointing to his record in public office.
“Go back to the university and see what I have done,” he said.
“Go back to the ministry of transport and assess whether I can turn the country around.”
“And I will, in four years, turn the country around.”
The former governor, Atiku Abubakar and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen will be going into the primary to jostle for the ADC presidential ticket if consensus fails.
