Former Rivers governor urges ADC members to mobilise voters across states and wards, saying defeating APC will require a strong grassroots campaign.

Former Rivers State governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has urged party leaders and supporters to intensify their grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, warning that a victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could force many opposition politicians into political retirement.

Amaechi made the call on Wednesday at the ADC National Women League Conference in Abuja, where he charged party members to return to their states and wards and work aggressively to mobilise votes for the ADC.

He said the party could only challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by building a strong presence at the grassroots and securing substantial votes across the country.

According to Amaechi, the political future of many ADC leaders could depend on the outcome of the 2027 election.

“If you are not from FCT, go home and campaign. Me, I am going on Wednesday, I will not wear suit, I will dress like a young man. Let me tell you what will happen. We the crop of leaders you see here, if APC wins the 2027 elections, we are retired from politics,” he said.

Amaechi urged ADC women to mobilise voters in their wards, saying even a significant number of votes from each ward could make a difference in the presidential contest.

“If you bring two thousand votes per ward, don’t win your ward. Just bring two thousand votes, we have won the election,” he said.

He also called on women to persuade their husbands and other members of their households to participate in the election and vote for the ADC.

Amaechi said he would personally campaign across several states, including Kebbi, Adamawa, Rivers and Delta, stressing that winning governorship elections would also be important to the party’s political strategy.

“You will see me in Kebbi, Yola, Rivers, Delta fighting for the governorship elections, because the presidential candidate cannot govern without the governors,” he said.

Amaechi recalls 2015 APC campaign

The former transportation minister also recalled the 2015 election, when the APC defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari emerged as president.

Amaechi, who was a prominent APC figure at the time, said women played an important role in the party’s grassroots mobilisation during that election.

“When we were in APC and we wanted to remove your government, you saw what we did. We brought out the women. In every state we went to, women were in front,” he said.

He said the party held meetings with women and encouraged them to come out and vote, adding that the mobilisation contributed to the APC’s victory.

Amaechi then contrasted the economic situation he described during the 2015 election period with current conditions, citing food costs, poverty and the number of children out of school.

“That time, Nigeria was not as hungry as it is now. Nigeria could afford some food, right? Now, how many of you can afford the food?” he asked.

Amaechi also claimed that the number of out-of-school children had risen from between 10 million and 12 million when he left government to about 20 million today.

He criticised the Tinubu administration over what he described as worsening economic hardship, particularly in northern Nigeria.

“If you’re a northerner and you’re sitting here, you shouldn’t even be singing at all. Tinubu is taking you more every day into poverty,” he said.

Amaechi urged women in the North to mobilise voters, arguing that a strong turnout against the APC could affect the outcome of the election.

Titi Atiku urges women to mobilise

Also speaking at the conference, Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar urged ADC supporters to remain committed to the party and mobilise voters across the country.

She told the women not to be intimidated and encouraged them to speak with friends, neighbours and other members of their communities about supporting the ADC.

Titi Atiku also highlighted the rising cost of living, using the price of medicine as an example.

“If you go to the market, you cannot buy anything, even medicine. Yesterday I sent them to buy medicine for me. Medicine that we used to buy for N400 is now N1,000. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” she said.

She further alleged that contractors and other Nigerians were facing difficulties receiving payments because of their support for the ADC, although the claims were not independently substantiated at the event.

Titi Atiku also criticised the high cost of education and urged women not to be persuaded by temporary gifts or food during the election period.

“Most of our children are not in schools because the cost of living is so expensive. So, women, I implore you. Women, I beg you. Don’t let them come and buy you with food,” she said.

She called on ADC supporters to take the party's campaign beyond major cities and reach communities and villages across Nigeria.

The conference forms part of the ADC's preparations for the 2027 general election, with the party seeking to expand its grassroots structure and challenge the APC and other major political parties in the presidential and governorship contests.