Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has publicly stated that he has not been approached about becoming the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the party’s recent presidential primary. Speaking during an interview on the programme #WithChude, Amaechi reiterated his stance on the 'concocted results' of the primary, yet confirmed his continued membership of the ADC.

Amaechi, a former minister of transportation, had previously criticized the conduct of the ADC's presidential primary. In this election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election, defeating Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. The party reported that Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes, significantly outperforming Amaechi, who received 504,117 votes, and Hayatu-Deen, who secured 177,120 votes. The election was conducted using the Option A4 voting system.

During the interview, Amaechi, who recently celebrated his 61st birthday, also delved into broader aspects of Nigerian politics and his relationships with several prominent political figures. He discussed his connections with Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, David Mark, Nyesom Wike, and former President Goodluck Jonathan. Additionally, he spoke about his friendship with Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and controversially described former president Olusegun Obasanjo as Nigeria’s greatest leader, despite acknowledging what he termed Obasanjo's 'messiah complex'. Amaechi further revealed that he had left the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari before its tenure concluded, attributing this to Buhari becoming overwhelmed by the demands of office. He emphasized his commitment to honesty, stating, “People say politicians lie, but I don’t lie. My record speaks for me.”

Amaechi has been a prominent figure in Nigerian politics for three decades. His extensive political career began during the transition to the Third Republic, where he served as secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. From 1992 to 1994, he worked as a special assistant to former Rivers State deputy governor Peter Odili, who recognized his leadership potential early on and mentored him in public service. In 1996, Amaechi served as secretary of the Rivers State caretaker committee of the Democratic Party of Nigeria under former military ruler Sani Abacha's transition programme. He later became speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007, subsequently serving as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015. Amaechi then held the position of minister of transportation under President Buhari from 2015 to 2022. He contested the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2022 before ultimately joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 election.