Amaechi’s 2027 ambition not officially backed by ADC South-South — Usani

By Lawrence Agbo

Usani Uguru Usani, the National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has clarified that party stakeholders in the region are not obligated to support the 2027 presidential bid of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, as stated at the ADC’s South-South leadership meeting.

To put it simply, the party is arguing that the strong support that was heard during the meeting should not be interpreted as a mandated endorsement. Members of the party throughout the South-South are still free to make their own political decisions, even though many leaders publicly supported Amaechi.

The National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the ADC issued a statement on Saturday night outlining the events of the February 27 meeting and the reasons behind the controversy surrounding the voice vote.

According to Usani, the sequence started when Amaechi formally announced his ambition to run for president in the 2027 general election and asked for support from stakeholders in his geographical base at internal leadership talks in the zone.

He mentioned that a move to uphold the request was later proposed on the floor. John Odigie-Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State, made a brief statement to reiterate the appeal and emphasise the significance of obtaining the popular view.

The regional leader then demanded a voice vote, according to the statement.

“At the call for response, there was a loud affirmative ‘AY’ while a contra call had no ‘NAY’ response,” Usani said.

He clarified that many interpreted the ensuing cheers as a sign of support for Amaechi’s goal.

“This applause was a pledge to support him, which can be interpreted as endorsement,” he added.

The party chieftain, however, advised against interpreting the development as a ruling that would bind party members in the area.

“Notably, this development does not compel individual actions based on conviction. It does not also imply that support base for other aspirants within the zone is non-existent,

“I find it compelling to offer this step-by-step procedure in order to guarantee the integrity of participants and equally secure the harmony of the forum as we look forward to more challenging eventualities in our general struggle,” he said.