Rotimi Amaechi Details Political Displacement by Presidents as He Transitions to ADC Presidential Campaign

Rotimi Amaechi reveals he was forced out of the PDP and APC by sitting presidents as he launches his presidential bid with the African Democratic Congress.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 17, 2026, 5:06 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Daily Post Nigeria

Amaechi Alleges Systemic Exclusion from Major Political Coalitions

The former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has provided a candid account of the circumstances that led to his departures from Nigeria's two primary political parties. During an appearance on Channels TV, Amaechi characterized his exits from the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress as involuntary, resulting from high level internal conflicts. Now positioned as a presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, Amaechi’s testimony offers a rare glimpse into the friction between state level leadership and the federal executive branch.

Former President Jonathan Cited in Early PDP Structural Dispute

Amaechi traced the roots of his political migration back to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He alleged that the former President and the then First Lady, Patience Jonathan, actively worked to dismantle his influence by seizing control of the PDP’s organizational structure in Rivers State. According to Amaechi, this move effectively chased him out of the party he helped build in the region, forcing him to align with the then burgeoning opposition coalition that would eventually become the APC.

Repeated Patterns of Marginalization Following APC Primary Loss

The former governor claimed that a similar pattern of exclusion repeated itself within the All Progressives Congress following the party’s last presidential primary. Amaechi, who contested the nomination against current President Bola Tinubu, suggested that his standing within the party became untenable after the exercise. He asserted that the same forces that marginalized him in the PDP were at play within the APC, leading him to conclude that his future within the ruling party was no longer viable.