BENIN CITY, Nigeria — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing an internal dispute after conflicting accounts emerged over whether former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was formally endorsed by South-South leaders as the zone’s preferred presidential aspirant for the 2027 election. The disagreement followed a South-South leaders’ meeting chaired by former Edo State governor John Odigie-Oyegun, where Amaechi declared his intention to seek the ADC presidential ticket.
The endorsement claim first gained traction after Odigie-Oyegun said leaders in the zone had agreed to back Amaechi’s ambition. Reports from TheCable, Vanguard and ThisDay said the former APC presidential aspirant informed South-South ADC leaders of his plan to run and received a supportive response at the meeting. A video later shared by Amaechi also appeared to show Odigie-Oyegun saying the zone had taken a unanimous decision to support him.
That account was reinforced by Usani Uguru Usani, ADC national vice-chairman for the South-South, who said a voice vote produced loud support for Amaechi and no audible opposition. Usani said the outcome could fairly be interpreted as an endorsement or pledge of support, although he added that it did not compel members to abandon their personal preferences or foreclose support for other aspirants from the zone.
But a rival bloc within the party has sharply disputed that interpretation. In statements carried by Punch, Daily Trust, Nigeria Info and BusinessDay, South-South ADC leaders said no candidate was formally endorsed, insisting the gathering was consultative, not a nominating session. Mabel Oboh, identified as the zonal publicity secretary, described reports of an endorsement as misleading, while Jackie Wayas, the party’s deputy national publicity secretary, said consultation should not be mistaken for adoption. The disagreement has spilled into the broader opposition space. The Obidient Movement, which backs former Anambra governor Peter Obi, said Amaechi was not endorsed and argued that the meeting should not be presented as settling the South-South’s position. Pat Utomi, another prominent ADC figure, also said the zone had not endorsed Amaechi for the party’s ticket.
What can be stated with confidence is that Amaechi has formally declared interest in the ADC presidential race before South-South leaders and that the meeting exposed a real split inside the party over how to interpret the response he received. What remains unresolved is whether the zone’s reaction amounted to a binding political endorsement or merely an encouraging consultation. That distinction could become more important as the ADC tries to manage competing ambitions ahead of 2027
