- Amaechi urged the ADC to consider competence, age, and regional power balance when selecting a presidential candidate
- He warned that a northern candidate could struggle to win southern Nigerian support due to informal power-sharing expectations
- Despite regional concerns, Amaechi pledged to back the party’s nominee and promised a single-term presidency if elected
Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that it may face significant challenges persuading voters in southern Nigeria to support a presidential candidate from the North.
Amaechi gave the warning while speaking in Kano, where he was asked whether he would support any candidate produced by the ADC in the forthcoming general election. Although he affirmed his loyalty to the party, he stressed the need for strategic decision-making in selecting a flagbearer.
“I will support whoever emerges,” Amaechi said, adding that the party must “take a look around and find the best material that can show Nigerians that things will start to improve.”
The former Rivers governor, who has declared his intention to seek the ADC’s presidential ticket, advised the party to consider three critical factors when choosing its candidate: competence, age and the prevailing balance of power in the country.
“First is capacity. Second is age. Third, and that’s the final point, is to respect the unspoken rule about power that exists in the South,” he said.
Amaechi was referring to Nigeria’s long-standing but informal power-sharing arrangement between the North and the South, often described as zoning. He argued that acknowledging the current shift in power would make it easier for politicians and voters in the South to rally behind the party.
“They should finish that process and then pass control to the North,” he said, suggesting that adherence to this understanding would reduce political tension and foster broader acceptance.
He warned that presenting a northern candidate at a time when many in the South believe power should remain in the region could weaken the ADC’s appeal.
“If you choose someone from the North, I’m not saying we won’t try to campaign, but it will be hard to get the South to give up power because they will ask the North, ‘Why is it that only when power comes to the South does there become a problem?’” he stated.
Despite his reservations, Amaechi emphasised that party unity remains paramount. He pledged to support the ADC’s eventual nominee regardless of regional origin.
“Whether someone is from the South or the North doesn’t matter to me; I will support whoever comes out on top in the primary,” he said.
In a move aimed at reinforcing his stance on equity, Amaechi also reiterated his promise that, if elected president, he would serve only a single four-year term to allow power to rotate back to the North.
His remarks highlight the delicate regional considerations likely to shape political strategies as parties prepare for the next general election, with zoning and national cohesion expected to remain central themes in the debate.