By Ado Oyeyemi
The Presidency and the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress have criticised former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over his assertion that only “mad people” would vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Amaechi, who is the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the remarks on Thursday during a party town hall meeting in Benin, the Edo State capital, where he urged residents to reject Tinubu at the polls.
Addressing party leaders, candidates and supporters, the former Minister of Transportation described those campaigning for Tinubu as thieves and suggested that Edo residents who voted for the President would be mentally unstable.
Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described Amaechi as an irresponsible speaker and questioned his suitability for the ADC presidential ticket led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
In an interview, Ajayi accused the former governor of making reckless statements for political gain, citing his previous comments about his late mother.
He also challenged Amaechi’s account that Tinubu’s policies had contributed to his inability to afford medication for his mother before her death.
Ajayi argued that Amaechi’s alleged spending on his daughter’s education in the United Kingdom and his mother’s burial contradicted the impression he sought to create about his financial circumstances.
The presidential aide further questioned Amaechi’s electoral performance during his tenure as Director-General of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign organisation.
According to him, the former governor failed to secure significant electoral support for Buhari in Rivers State during the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.
Ajayi argued that Amaechi had little electoral value to offer the ADC, insisting that he would struggle to deliver Rivers State or the wider South-South region to Atiku in 2027.
“He’s actually a burden on Atiku’s ticket,” the presidential aide said, questioning the decision to select the former Rivers governor as the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate.
The Edo APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, also dismissed Amaechi’s comments, saying voters in the state were capable of making informed decisions without being insulted.
He maintained that Edo residents had become politically conscious and would determine their preferred candidates based on their assessment of the parties and their performance.
Uwadiae-Igbinigie defended the APC-led administration in the state, headed by Governor Monday Okpebholo, and praised the Federal Government’s reforms and infrastructure projects.
He also described the ADC as a weak political platform, while expressing confidence that Edo voters would support Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The APC spokesman said the party was targeting 2.5 million votes for the President in the state, adding that residents would reward the Federal Government for the resources supporting development projects in Edo.
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He argued that continued development under Okpebholo would encourage voters to back Tinubu for a second term.
