This medium gathered that the name of the former Rivers State governor fell into reckoning after his 60th birthday which commemoration came with a public lecture, where he made his position known openly, saying he refused to support the incumbent President based on his conviction of his lack of capacity to deliver leadership.
By Olawale Lamina with additional reports
A coalition of political parties comprising opposition figures and groups is said to be rooting for the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, as a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
This according to the group becomes necessary in the face of failed attempts to bring the duo of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi under same political umbrella.
However, the coalition which we gathered now operates without a formal structure, may have resolved to evolve its own political identity under a new political party named the All Democratic Alliance, ADA.
Organizers of the new move said that the idea is to pave the way for a new window where opposition forces who are against the merging with existing parties could avoid internal wrangling or any form of legal bottlenecks.
But political pundits are of the view that the newly formed ADA would provide a fresh base, especially where attempts to form a formidable party under existing ones like the Social Democratic Party, SDP, or the African Democratic Congress, ADC, failed materialize.
This medium gathered that the name of the former Rivers State governor fell into reckoning after his 60th birthday which commemoration came with a public lecture, where he made his position known openly, saying he refused to support the incumbent President based on his conviction of lack of capacity to deliver leadership.
Then, some interest within the coalition, believed that the lecture held in Abuja was beyond the celebration of a political icon, but a modest way to measure the public approval rating of Amaechi’s possible return to the race for the highest office in the land.
They surmised that ADA as a coalition would prefer Amaechi as a viable alternative in the event that Atiku and Obi continue with their current plans to contest again. This also came against the backdrop of the fact that the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi is reportedly firm on contesting the 2027 election with Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, who was also his running mate in the February 2023 Presidential election.
Analysts have equally noted that the political manouvre now becomes more interesting as the former vice president Atiku Abubarkar on the other hand, remains committed to the presidential race, erasing any iota of doubts that the Turakin Adamawa could step aside.
The political cliffhanger among major opposition is currently generating palpable anxiety among coalition leaders, who have cause to worry over the limited time available before a united front is formed.
Following this obvious hiatus, some members of the group are convinced that the way forward remains to focus on Amaechi and prepare him ready, having noticed his strength in the last APC presidential primary where he pulled the second position after Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the current president.
Again, following his growing support base among politicians loyal to the former President Muhammadu Buhari, who expressed faith in Amaechi’s ability to offer a better alternative against the APC than political figures like Atiku and Obi.
An key personality, Dr. Umar Ardo, insisted that starting a fresh party is the safer route that maintaining an existing one
He pointed out that joining an older party might lead to unending legal battles from existing members, especially where those members have the support of powerful interests.
Ardo equally dismissed claims that the new party idea is meant to favour Atiku.He noted that former VP Atiku is among those pushing for a merger with an existing political party.
Another member of the group, Dr. Katch Ononuju, simply expressed his views about Peter Obi making his plan clear about contesting the presidential election again. He said that supporting Obi’s interest is key to forging a united front to wrest power from the ruling APC.
About The Author
