Former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed the presidential chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring that the veteran politician lacks the electoral strength to win a general election.
Amaechi also vowed not to step down for any aspirant ahead of the party’s presidential primaries, insisting that he remains fully committed to his ambition.
Speaking during a live interview on Trust TV on Monday night, the former Rivers State governor assessed Atiku’s political history, arguing that although the former Vice President has repeatedly secured party tickets, he has consistently failed to translate those victories into success at the national polls.
According to Amaechi, winning party primaries is meaningless if a candidate cannot attract broad support from Nigerians during the general election.
“He has been running since 1992. Every time he has won the primaries, he loses the election. It’s about electability and Atiku is not electable,” Amaechi said during the interview.
The presidential hopeful further dismissed claims about Atiku’s strong record in party primaries, saying such achievements do not reflect the realities of national elections.
“I listen when they say former Vice President Atiku said he has never failed the primaries before. I hope this will be the first time he fails the primaries. That is not the issue, the issue is that every time he has passed the primaries, he has not won the election,” he stated.
Amaechi maintained that the ruling party requires a candidate capable of securing votes across all geopolitical zones, rather than one who only performs well among delegates during conventions.
He added that his experience as a two-term governor of Rivers State and former minister gives him an advantage as a candidate capable of leading the party to victory in the next general election.
