Amaechi's Political Journey: A Cautionary Tale

After the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) held its presidential primary election, they picked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the north as their candidate. They also chose Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi from the south as his running mate. This is the second time Atiku Abubakar will go against Nigeria's zoning principle for the presidency, which says it should be the south's turn until 2031. This follows an eight-year presidency from the north under Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023. In 2023, Atiku's attempt to break zoning by running for the PDP was met with strong resistance from Nigerians across the country. This led to his personal loss and the PDP suffering greatly.

Atiku Abubakar once benefited from zoning in 1999 and 2007 when he became vice president under Olusegun Obasanjo. He also ran as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress party in 2007 when it was the north's turn after eight years in the south. Atiku protested zoning violations when he returned to the PDP in 2011 after Goodluck Jonathan took over following the death of Umar Musa Yar’Adua in 2010. The northern wing of the PDP, led by Adamu Ciroma, insisted that southerners should stay away from the presidency, including the sitting president Goodluck Jonathan. Some southern leaders supported this position, including then-party chairman Vincent Ogbulafor and Rotimi Amaechi, who was the governor of Rivers state at that time. However, when most northern governors decided to adjust the zoning rules, Amaechi rallied support for Goodluck Jonathan.

But Atiku Abubakar did not take the same route. He later became the northern consensus candidate against Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Bukola Saraki, and General Aliyu Gusau for the PDP presidential primaries in the 2011 elections. In a surprising turn of events, Atiku defeated Goodluck Jonathan in five northern states: Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, and Kebbi. Usually, such primaries favor the sitting president, but not this time. Even though Goodluck eventually won, Atiku's challenge created a rift in the PDP that led to its defeat in 2015.

In 2015, when Goodluck Jonathan tried to breach zoning again, Atiku led five sitting PDP governors, including Rotimi Amaechi, to break away from the party. They joined forces with Bola Tinubu's ACN, Muhammadu Buhari's CPC, and Rochas Okorocha's APGA to form the APC. In this new setup, southern leaders like Rotimi Amaechi, Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande, Timipriye Silva, and Chris Ngige pushed for the presidency to go to the north. At the Lagos presidential convention, southern APC members backed their chosen northern candidates, resulting in Muhammadu Buhari winning, with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the first runner-up and Atiku Abubakar as the second runner-up. Similarly, when the PDP corrected its zoning mistake in 2015 for the 2019 presidential election, Atiku benefited by becoming the party's candidate after he left the APC.

For someone like Atiku, who has gained from zoning to be vice president and presidential candidate of major parties, it seems wrong for him to violate zoning so openly. This undermines Nigeria's national unity and fairness. Beyond the APC primaries in 2015, Amaechi played a key role in helping Muhammadu Buhari win against Goodluck Jonathan as the Director General of the party's campaign. Rotimi Amaechi, known for his political activism and strong character, was crucial in the APC's success. His support for Buhari helped unite the north against the PDP.

After becoming the Minister of Transport under President Buhari, Amaechi worked loyally for his boss and the northern region. He completed the Abuja/Kaduna rail line and started the controversial Kano/Katsina/Maradi rail line. Yet, his home region of Rivers state received little attention. When he had the chance to place the university of transportation in his hometown, he chose President Buhari's town of Daura instead. Some believe he did this to gain favor with Buhari and the north ahead of the 2023 election. But this has not worked out well for Amaechi.

He lost to Bola Tinubu, a fellow southerner who also supported Buhari in 2015. Amaechi's poor performance in the ADC presidential primaries in northern states, losing to Atiku Abubakar, raises questions about his sacrifices for northern interests. His political sacrifices seem to have been in vain, especially with his rival, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, gaining from his struggles.

I believe that if the north wants a change from President Tinubu, the next candidate should come from the south. History shows that violating zoning is a mistake that damages political parties. Until Nigeria is more united, the zoning and rotation of the presidency between the north and south are essential for fairness and justice. This ensures Nigeria's unity, despite its challenges.

After Atiku's recent issues with the PDP, many hoped the ADC would choose a southern candidate to challenge President Tinubu in 2027. Sadly, the northern part of the party has pushed Atiku as their candidate, ignoring a trustworthy option like Amaechi. It's clear to Amaechi that this part of the north does not appreciate his past support. His only reward seems to be the title of Dan Amana given to him by the Emir of Daura.

Rotimi Amaechi deserves support from the north to run for the presidency. Otherwise, this betrayal will discourage others from following the 'Amaechi way' in Nigerian politics. If Amaechi agrees to be a running mate to a northern candidate, it will hurt his reputation and make him look like an enemy to southern political progress. For Amaechi to avoid becoming a tragic hero, he should turn down Atiku's offer and just watch from the sidelines if he does not back any other southern candidate.