Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has detailed the circumstances that led to his departure from both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), revealing that he was effectively forced out of both parties by political rivals.
Speaking during a Friday interview on Channels Television, Amaechi, now a key presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said his exit from the PDP was prompted by then-President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience Jonathan, who he claims took control of the party structure in Rivers State and pushed him out.
He described a similar experience in the APC, where he contested the party’s presidential primary against eventual winner Bola Tinubu. According to Amaechi, the pattern of being “chased out” repeated itself in both parties.
“I was chased out of PDP, APC by the then president,” Amaechi said. “The president and his wife took over the party structure in Rivers State and chased me out. The same thing happened in APC.”
His remarks shed light on the internal power struggles that have shaped Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly in Rivers State, a region often at the center of high-stakes party politics. Amaechi’s shift to the ADC marks another turn in his political journey, as he seeks to position himself for the 2027 presidential race under a relatively new political platform.
The former governor’s account underscores the volatility of party loyalty in Nigeria, where defections are often driven by internal disputes, leadership rivalries, and control over party machinery. His move to the ADC could signal a broader realignment in opposition politics ahead of the next election cycle.
