Rotimi Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, has declared he will step down from the race and actively campaign for President Bola Tinubu if the price of petrol falls to N600 per litre. The former Rivers State governor and ex-minister of transportation made this statement during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, October 3, 2026, as monitored by Legit.ng.
Amaechi's Fuel Price Condition for 2027
The ADC is fielding former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate, with Amaechi as his running mate. Despite that arrangement, Amaechi drew a clear line: a significant drop in fuel prices would change his political calculus entirely.
"If fuel comes down to N600 tomorrow, I will withdraw as vice president for Atiku and I will campaign for Tinubu," he said during the interview.
The comments come as Nigeria continues to grapple with the economic consequences of the fuel subsidy removal, which pushed petrol prices well above N1,000 per litre in many parts of the country. Amaechi's N600 benchmark represents a significant reduction from current market prices, making his stated condition a high bar for the Tinubu administration to meet before the 2027 polls.
On Election Rigging and Economic Hardship
Beyond the fuel price condition, Amaechi also addressed concerns about the credibility of the 2027 general elections, saying he did not believe Tinubu would attempt to rig the vote. His reasoning was rooted in the level of economic suffering Nigerians are currently enduring.
"Tinubu will not rig this election because there might not be a Nigeria if he rigs this election. Why? Because people are tired, they are hungry," he said.
Amaechi added a personal note, saying his decision to contest was not driven by personal animosity towards the president. "Nobody hates Tinubu. I love Tinubu, he knows," he said.
ADC's Legal Battle Over Deregistration
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the ADC strongly opposed a federal high court ruling directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party and four others, describing the judgment as an attempt to use the judiciary to undermine Nigeria's democratic process.
In a statement, ADC national spokesperson Abdullahi condemned the ruling as unconstitutional and deeply troubling. According to the ADC, the decision runs contrary to established legal precedents and even conflicts with positions previously advanced by INEC on the issue of political party deregistration.
