Port Harcourt — Barely a month after resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is set to meet with his loyalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday to outline his next political steps.
Amaechi’s planned engagement with supporters comes weeks after he attended the funeral of former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. At the event, he had hinted at an imminent address on the prevailing political developments in Nigeria.
According to a reliable source, the Wednesday meeting may see Amaechi declare his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move expected to reshape political alignments in Rivers State. The source suggested that Amaechi could lead a mass defection of his supporters—spanning both APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) factions—to the ADC.
A senior APC figure in the state, who declined to be named, described the political climate in Rivers as fragile, with many party members disillusioned by internal crises within both the APC and PDP. He claimed the rising profile of the ADC poses a serious challenge to political blocs loyal to President Bola Tinubu and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“The state has been in political disarray, especially since Governor Siminalayi Fubara was stripped of his constitutional powers following the controversial emergency rule declared in March,” the source said. “The people feel denied of the dividends of democracy, and this new political movement offers a chance to push back.”
The source further stated that Amaechi is widely seen as a frontrunner for the ADC’s 2027 presidential ticket. “He enjoys wide support across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and brings to the table a strong political resume and loyal base.”
On July 1, 2025, Amaechi formally severed ties with the APC through a letter addressed to the party chairman in Ward 8, Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area. In the letter, he cited the party’s deviation from its founding ideals.
“This decision stems from my avowed commitment to joining forces with other patriotic Nigerians to rescue our dear nation from the fangs of failure, pain, and anguish which the All Progressives Congress now pellucidly symbolizes,” he wrote.
He added, “I am convinced that this is the appropriate moment to call it quits, as the party has derailed from the lofty ideas that birthed its formation and can no longer inspire hope for a greater Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, groups including the Host Communities of Niger Delta have reportedly thrown their weight behind Amaechi’s expected presidential bid, signaling growing momentum for his return to national political relevance.
