Amaechi also expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the judgment, insisting that the ruling was wrong.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said his party has no alternative plan for the 2027 presidential election despite a court judgment nullifying his candidacy and that of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The former Rivers State Governor made this known on Thursday, 12 November, during a candid interview with DCL.
He was responding to a question about the legal options available to the Atiku-Amaechi ticket if the appeal against the judgment challenging its nomination remained unresolved when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prepares the ballot.
In a judgment delivered by a Federal High Court on 5 November 2026, the leadership of the David Mark-led ADC, which produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate, was nullified.
The verdict has since cast doubt on the former Vice President’s participation in the forthcoming 16 January presidential election.
However, the leadership of the Mark faction of the ADC has vowed to pursue the matter to ensure that Atiku remains on the ballot in the 2027 election.
Speaking on the saga in his latest media chat, Amaechi expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the judgment, insisting that the ruling was wrong.
He said, “We expect that the court will do justice. We believe in no one playing the role of God; we just believe that the judgment is wrong and that the Court of Appeal will overturn the judgment because the judgment is wrong.”
Asked what their next plan would be if the legal challenge was not resolved before INEC finalised the ballot, Amaechi suggested that the campaign was relying on only one option.
Amaechi added, “I don’t know the future; you have to be God to say that. We don’t have Plan A, Plan B—just one plan, Plan A.”
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, has made it clear that the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Amaechi, will not be on the ballot during the 2027 presidential election if they fail to overturn the court judgment nullifying Mark’s leadership of his party.
Responding to a question on whether the Adamawa State-born politician would still participate in the 2027 presidential election during his visit to Chatham House in London, UK, he said: “If he fails, I’m obligated to obey every court order, especially if it’s from the Supreme Court.
”The danger is that whenever there is such a decision and it is up to you to implement, you become the problem. The problem is transferred to you, but that is the position of the law.”
