‘Continue campaign,’ Amaechi tells ADC supporters

Former governor of Rivers State and ADC vice presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has urged party members to remain calm and continue campaigning despite the Federal High Court judgement that invalidated the party’s leadership and presidential primary.

He made the remarks on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday morning.

Mr Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor, disclosed that the party had appealed the judgment and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would do the right thing. He urged supporters not to allow the ruling to distract them from their political activities.

“What we have done is continue to let our supporters know that everybody should be calm and continue with your campaign,” Mr Ameachi, the transport minister during President Muhammadu Buhari administration, said.

The dispute over the ADC leadership began after Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the party, challenged the emergence of the David Mark-led leadership.

Mr Gombe sued the party and the David Mark-led executives before the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that he was entitled to lead the party following the resignation of its former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu.

He also challenged the party’s July 2025 National Executive Committee meeting, which produced the Mark-led leadership. He asked the court to invalidate the meeting and its decisions and stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the new leadership.

In April, the Supreme Court sent the dispute back to the Federal High Court to determine the substantive issues. The Supreme Court did not decide who was entitled to lead the party.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered judgement on 5 November, ruling in favour of Mr Gombe. He nullified the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting and the decisions taken at the meeting.

The judge also invalidated the party’s primary elections, including the process that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate. He directed INEC not to recognise the decisions of the disputed meeting.

Although Mr Amaechi disclosed on Tuesday that the party had gone on appeal, he complained that it had yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement, despite applying for it.

“We can’t even see the judgment. He needs to hand over the judgment to us so we can go to the Court of Appeal,” he said.

He questioned why Judge Lifu heard arguments on other issues before determining whether the court had jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Describing jurisdiction as the “live wire of every case”, Mr Amaechi, who was called to the Bar in 2024, argued that the judge should have determined that issue first.

He recalled that the Supreme Court had sent the matter back to the Federal High Court to determine whether it had jurisdiction.

The ADC candidate expressed surprise that the judge allowed parties to address him on other issues before resolving the jurisdiction question.

Mr Amaechi, however, declined to discuss the judgment in detail because the matter was before the Court of Appeal.

He maintained that the party would rely on its lawyers, whom he described as experienced Senior Advocates of Nigeria, to handle the appeal.

The ADC candidate also dismissed suggestions of an internal disagreement within the party.

He cited a video he claimed showed Nafiu Bala Gombe congratulating David Mark during the party’s leadership handover.

Mr Amaechi accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to weaken the opposition because of its growing political activities.

He alleged that the ruling party was more interested in distracting the opposition than addressing the country’s problems.

“When we are campaigning, we are addressing issues. We are addressing the issue of the economy, social housing and security. They are not interested,” he said.

Mr Amaechi also defended the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s, proposal to introduce a production-based fuel subsidy.

He explained that the proposal differed from the previous arrangement, which subsidised imported petroleum products.

According to him, the proposed policy would support domestic refineries by making crude oil available to them at a lower price.

To illustrate the proposal, he said if crude is sold internationally for about N15,000, the government could supply it to domestic refineries for about N10,000. The N5,000 difference would constitute the subsidy.

He argued that the arrangement would encourage local refining and support the Dangote refinery and several modular refineries.

Mr Amaechi maintained that government support should go to businesses producing petroleum products locally rather than importers.

He stressed that the ADC was not proposing a return to the previous subsidy arrangement. Instead, it wanted a system that supported domestic production.

The former governor recalled that he initially supported fuel subsidy removal but disagreed with how the Tinubu administration implemented the policy.

The former Rivers State governor also criticised the Tinubu administration over its borrowing and infrastructure spending.

He claimed that the government had borrowed more than N143 trillion in about three years, arguing that previous administrations combined had not borrowed as much.

“Why are you not bringing out the fact that, as we are talking today, you have borrowed over N143 trillion?” he asked.

He questioned the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which he estimated at about N33 trillion, or $16 billion.

Mr Amaechi also challenged the process for awarding the project. He alleged that the government selected a contractor to design and construct the road as work progressed.

He claimed that “No drawing. No process of selecting a contractor. You choose the contractor who is there to design. So what they are doing is, as you move, you design.”

He argued that the government should have prioritised the East-West Road, which previous administrations had begun constructing.

According to him, completing the remaining section towards Calabar would benefit Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states.

Mr Amaechi estimated that completing the road would cost about N500 billion, compared with the much higher cost of the coastal highway.

He further accused the president of choosing the coastal highway because of the benefits he would gain from the project.

The former governor faulted the government’s economic priorities, arguing that it should focus on infrastructure that directly supports economic activities.

He compared economic conditions under former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, urging Nigerians to assess their living conditions under both administrations.

He also faulted the Tinubu administration’s record on the exchange rate and public spending, arguing that it had not justified its borrowing and infrastructure costs.

Mr Amaechi expressed confidence in his own record in office and challenged Nigerians to assess the records of the presidential candidates and their running mates before making their choices.

“President Tinubu, Vice President Atiku, myself, Shettima, we have all sat in government,” he said.

He also asked Nigerians, “Can you do a referendum on us and choose who you want to vote for?That’s what you should be asking?”