Former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has questioned the electoral viability of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of future presidential contests, arguing that repeated participation in elections without victory raises concerns about electability.…....
Amaechi, who is also a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks during an interview on Trust TV News on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Speaking on the growing discussions around potential presidential aspirants and political alignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
Amaechi referenced comments allegedly made by former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, regarding Atiku’s long-standing presidential ambition. “I watched a video by Governor Duke who said he started contesting in 1992. It’s his choice. It’s his choice to contest,” Amaechi said.
The former minister also reacted to claims attributed to Atiku that he had never lost a party primary election, expressing hope that such a streak could end in a future contest. “Okay, so I listened when they say former vice president said he never failed primary before. I hope this will be the first time he will fail primary,” Amaechi stated.
He, however, argued that winning party primaries alone should not be the ultimate measure of political strength, insisting that the more important issue is whether a candidate can secure victory in a general election. “But that’s not even the issue. The issue is that at all times that you have passed primary, you have not won an election. So it’s about electability,” he said.
Amaechi added that political parties must carefully assess the chances of their candidates before presenting them to Nigerians. “Can I win this election if you put me before the country? Vis-a-vis him, would he be able to win the election?” he asked. “And the answer I get is that he may not be able to win the election if he’s put forward,” Amaechi added.
When asked directly why he believed Atiku might struggle to win another presidential election, Amaechi pointed to the former vice president’s previous contest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “Yes, I think so. Because he has run against Tinubu before and lost now. That’s elementary analysis,” he stated.
Amaechi further questioned what new political appeal or strategy Atiku’s camp could present to voters in another election cycle. “Okay, so what new thing do they bring to the table?” he asked.
In response to the interviewer’s suggestion that he himself could represent “something new,” Amaechi highlighted the fact that he has never contested a presidential election. “I’ve never run. If nothing else, I can argue that I’ve never run any presidential election,” he said.
