Rotimi Amaechi has said supporters of Peter Obi have “abused” him, but he chose not to respond in order to maintain peace.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Lagos organised by his supporters under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) progressive movement, the former minister of transportation explained that he has instructed his followers to focus on facts rather than engage in online attacks.
“My people don’t fight. Have you seen any Amaechi person fighting on social media? It is between Atiku people and the Obi people. And Obi people are abusing me; we never reply,” he said.
“It’s not because we don’t know English or we cannot reply. The reason we don’t reply is that we always want peace.”
Amaechi noted that avoiding verbal confrontations is part of a broader strategy to keep opposition forces united ahead of future elections.
“There are things you say when you want to win, because it becomes difficult to bring everybody together. Because we know we will win, we’re not abusing everybody, so we can bring everyone together. I’m careful what I say,” he added.
“My team is under permanent instruction: don’t abuse anybody in ADC. Even Mr President — don’t abuse the president, show the facts.”
The former governor, who joined the ADC earlier this year, is seeking the party’s 2027 presidential ticket alongside Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
At the event, Amaechi urged Nigerians to compare his record in public service with that of other contenders, highlighting his experience as both governor and minister.
“Compare me to Peter Obi — we were governors at the same time. If he’s a better governor, please choose him. Although the former vice-president was not a governor, he was once a vice-president. Compare my role as governor, as minister, with the role he played as vice-president. If he’s a better person, please choose him,” he said.
He described himself as a hands-on leader, citing his involvement in infrastructure projects and his engagement with everyday realities.
“I’m young. I’m on the street. I know what the problems are. As a minister, as a former governor, I eat in the same restaurants people eat. I don’t go to all these big men’s restaurants because they don’t give me the kind of food I ate when I was small,” he said.
Amaechi also cautioned that internal divisions among opposition supporters could weaken their chances, urging unity ahead of elections.
“If you cause this kind of friction, it will be difficult to come together to defeat Tinubu. Focus on defeating Tinubu. On the day of the primary, go and vote for your own candidate, so that when your candidate wins, you’ll be able to bring everybody together,” he said.
He added that the behaviour of supporters can influence political leaders, warning that continued hostility may hinder future collaboration within the party.