Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has warned that the court judgment nullifying the party’s leadership could plunge the country into a civil war if not properly managed.
Amaechi said the ruling, which nullified the National Working Committee (NWC) led by former Senate President David Mark, could spark political unrest if the situation was allowed to escalate.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had last Thursday invalidated the Mark-led NWC and the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Justice Peter Lifu also nullified the emergence of former Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, as well as other decisions taken by the party leadership, including the nomination of candidates for elective positions.
The court further directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise decisions taken at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
The judgment followed a suit filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Gombe, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee took control of the party.
Speaking during an interview on Mainland 98.3 FM, Amaechi said the party’s leadership quickly met after receiving news of the judgment and agreed to avoid actions that could inflame tensions.
He insisted that there was no internal crisis in the ADC, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was uncomfortable with the growing opposition posed by the party.
Amaechi also questioned Gombe’s legal challenge, claiming that there were documents showing that the former party official had resigned and a video of him participating in the handover of the party’s leadership to Mark.
He alleged that those behind the court action were determined to create confusion and frighten voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the ADC remains the major opposition threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ambition, adding that the APC could lose significant support across the South.
Amaechi argued that the presence of several presidential contenders in the South-West, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, could divide votes in Tinubu’s home region.
He also predicted that Labour Party’s Peter Obi could secure substantial support in the South-East, while Atiku would be a strong contender across the 19 Northern states.
Amaechi, who hails from the South-South, said the region would be crucial to the presidential contest, expressing confidence in his ability to contribute to the ADC’s electoral fortunes.
The former governor also revisited his defeat to Tinubu in the 2022 APC presidential primary, blaming his decision to obey former President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged promise to make him the party’s preferred candidate.
Amaechi said Buhari had advised him not to campaign, assuring him that he would announce him as his preferred successor.
He claimed that he obeyed the former president because he was his boss and believed the promise would give him an advantage in the contest.
Amaechi further alleged that Tinubu secured victory through political deals and religious mobilisation, insisting that he would never deploy religion as a tool to win political power.
He recalled how a delegation of Southern Muslim leaders reportedly appealed to Northern governors to support Tinubu on religious grounds.
Amaechi said he rejected such politics, arguing that mobilising voters along religious lines could deepen divisions in the country.
He added that he would not encourage Catholics or members of any other religious group to vote for him solely because of their faith, stressing that he would not seek power at the expense of national unity.
