Vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has urged party leaders and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation, spoke on Wednesday at the ADC National Women League Conference in Abuja, where he also said some opposition leaders could be forced to retire from politics if President Bola Tinubu is re-elected.
He urged ADC members to return to their respective states and wards to mobilise voters, citing the role of grassroots campaigning in the APC’s victory over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election.
“If you are not from FCT, go home and campaign,” Amaechi told the gathering.
He urged party supporters to target significant numbers of votes at ward level, saying securing 2,000 votes per ward would contribute to the party’s chances in the election.
Amaechi said women played an important role in the APC’s campaign in 2015 and urged ADC supporters to adopt a similar grassroots approach ahead of 2027.
“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.
The former minister also criticised the Federal Government over what he described as worsening economic hardship, citing the rising cost of food, education and other essential goods.
Amaechi claimed that the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria had risen from between 10 million and 12 million when he left government to about 20 million. He did not provide a source for the figures.
He particularly called on women in northern Nigeria to participate actively in the 2027 election, arguing that increased voter turnout could influence the outcome.
Amaechi also said the ADC would campaign for governorship candidates across several states, arguing that cooperation between the presidency and state governors would be important for effective governance.
“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.
Also speaking at the conference, Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar urged women to mobilise voters across the country and resist intimidation during the election campaign.
She highlighted the rising cost of living, citing increases in the prices of medicines and other essential goods as examples of the economic difficulties facing households.
She urged women to persuade their friends, neighbours and other voters to support the ADC, particularly in rural communities.
“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 food,” she said.
Titi also called on women to take the party’s campaign message to communities across the country.
The conference was part of the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 election, with speakers emphasising grassroots mobilisation and the role of women in the party’s campaign.
