*Claims Obi won presidential election in Rivers 

*Denies ever engaging in election rigging*Says electoral malpractice involves governors, diversion of public funds via govt agencies
*Challenges Wike to take a walk along the streets of Port Harcourt to prove his popularity

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

In a confirmation of his ambition to vie for the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has stated that he is confident of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if he secures the ticket of the ADC.
Amaechi, who claimed that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, won the presidential election in Rivers State, denied ever being involved in election rigging.
He added that he had consistently declined to serve on the election planning committees of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking yesterday in a video on X tagged: ‘Weekend Politics’, the former governor of Rivers State also challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, to take a walk along the streets of Port Harcourt to prove his popularity.
Amaechi said he knows Tinubu’s strengths and weaknesses.
 “I tell you, I’ve not had an election against Tinubu. I know Tinubu very well. I know his strengths. I know his weaknesses. And I know that if I am allowed to fly the flag of ADC, I will defeat Tinubu for sure,” he said.
“I challenge any politician, living or dead, to come forward and say I was part of rigging.
“In fact, all the appointments given to me by APC to join election planning committees, I have refused to participate.
“There was no one I participated in. Why? Because I know what they discuss. I listen to them. I hear them. If I get the ticket, I will reveal those things,” Amaechi added.
Amaechi alleged that electoral malpractice often involves state governors and the diversion of public funds via government agencies.
“They will bring governors. They will go to government agencies and get money, but the rest, I don’t want to say it until I win primaries,” he said.
He vowed never to be part of election manipulation.
“I will never participate in any rigging whatsoever, and I will not do it. What I promise to do now, going forward, is to stop rigging,” he added.
Amaechi also challenged anyone to prove he has ever been involved in rigging.
“I challenge any Nigerian to produce evidence that I participated in any election rigging, and I will apologise for that,” he said.
The former Rivers governor also acknowledged that Labour Party presidential candidate Obi won in Rivers State during the 2023 election.
“I would agree to an extent that Peter Obi won in Rivers State, but unfortunately, the result that came out was different. How it happened, I have no idea,” he said.
Amaechi vowed to change the Nigerian constitution and end corruption within one month if elected president in 2027.
According to the former Rivers State governor, who served as minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, “if I become president, I will change the constitution from indigeneship to citizenship.
“If I do not end corruption in Nigeria within one month, I will tender my resignation.

Challenges Wike to Take a Walk along the Streets of Port Harcourt
Amaechi also challenged the Minister of the FCT, Wike, to take a walk along the streets of Port Harcourt to prove his popularity.
“I challenged the present FCT minister, Wike, to take a walk along the streets of Port Harcourt, which will reveal who is healthy and who the people actually loved.
The former minister, who alleged that some influential people in the country often visited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to steal money, further described Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the worst Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“It enrages me that those very influential among the ruling class visit CBN often to steal money; if they could use all the money they are pocketing to improve security and the economy, Nigeria wouldn’t be in such dire straits today.
“The worst INEC chairman in the history of Nigeria is Mahmood Yakubu,” he said.
The former governor of Rivers State added that he would not reverse the removal of subsidies if elected president.
Rather, he promised to direct the funds into the pockets of Nigerians.
“I will not reverse the removal of subsidies. I will instead direct the funds into the pockets of Nigerians, not the elite,” he added.

The post Amaechi: I’ll Defeat Tinubu If ADC Gives Me Ticket; I Know His Weaknesses appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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