PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has dismissed suggestions that former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is seeking a return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the former minister is instead committed to efforts aimed at rescuing Nigeria from what he described as years of failed governance.
Eze, a close ally of Amaechi and former National Publicity Secretary of the nPDP, stated this while reacting to comments attributed to one Alwan Hassan, who reportedly said Amaechi should remain in the ADC and work against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar but would not be welcomed back into the APC.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Eze described Hassan’s remarks as misguided, insisting that Amaechi had never contemplated returning to the ruling party despite being one of its founding figures.
According to him, the comments credited to Hassan, which were reportedly made during a programme aired on Arise News and later posted on the station’s official YouTube channel, reflected a poor understanding of Nigeria’s political realities and the role Amaechi played in the formation and growth of the APC.
Eze argued that it was illogical for anyone to suggest that Amaechi was plotting a return to the APC at a time when, according to him, the former minister was more concerned about addressing Nigeria’s mounting socio-economic and political challenges.
“Amaechi, thinking of returning to APC, to do what? At this moment, Amaechi is thinking of how to take Nigeria out of the woods,” Eze said.
The ADC chieftain maintained that the APC had lost its democratic credentials and public appeal under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the party had become disconnected from the aspirations of ordinary Nigerians.
He accused the ruling party of presiding over worsening economic hardship, insecurity, corruption and governance challenges, claiming that many Nigerians had become increasingly dissatisfied with the direction of the country.
Eze further questioned why Amaechi, who played a central role in the emergence of the APC and served as Director-General of the party’s successful presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019, would seek to return to a political platform he believes has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
He challenged Hassan to study the history of the APC and Amaechi’s contributions to the party before making public pronouncements about the former minister’s political future.
The ADC stalwart also argued that even if Amaechi were to consider returning to the APC, individuals such as Hassan lacked the political standing to determine who could or could not be admitted into the party.
Eze reiterated that Amaechi remained committed to the ADC and would continue working with like-minded political actors to build an alternative platform capable of addressing Nigeria’s challenges and restoring public confidence in governance.
He concluded by expressing confidence that Amaechi would remain in the ADC and contribute to efforts aimed at what he described as rescuing Nigeria from a ruling party that had mortgaged the future of younger generations.
The statement was signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, ADC chieftain, media consultant, public relations strategist and former National Publicity Secretary of the nPDP.
