Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has compared the ongoing legal battle over the leadership and 2027 presidential candidacy of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the events surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.
Amaechi, who is the ADC vice-presidential candidate, expressed concern that judicial interventions could once again undermine opposition political movements in Nigeria, recalling how the annulment of the June 12 election triggered a major political crisis and prolonged pro-democracy struggle.
The former Rivers State governor made the comparison on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, while reacting to a Federal High Court judgment that invalidated the ADC leadership structure and the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to Amaechi, Nigeria must be careful not to repeat the political events that followed the annulment of the 1993 presidential election.
He recalled that Abiola, who contested under the Social Democratic Party, was widely believed to have won the election before the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the results on June 23, 1993.
Abiola subsequently declared himself president but was arrested and detained under the administration of the late General Sani Abacha. He died in detention on July 7, 1998.
Amaechi said similar concerns were emerging over the treatment of opposition parties, alleging that whenever the opposition made political progress, certain individuals within the judiciary appeared willing to frustrate their efforts.
“One thing that one should be careful about is that every time you have the opposition making any progress in Nigerian politics, there’s always somebody in the judiciary who would want to know the order,” he said.
He added that the country should prioritise national interest rather than allow political disputes to threaten democratic development.
The ADC chieftain, however, clarified that his party was not opposed to judicial intervention, insisting that court decisions must be fair and impartial.
“We’re not saying don’t do justice. But we’re saying in doing justice, make sure that it’s justice. Don’t pretend to be a member of the other party,” Amaechi stated.
He also disclosed that the ADC would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, expressing confidence that the appellate court would overturn the decision.
Amaechi urged party supporters to remain calm and continue their political activities while the legal process takes its course.
He further questioned the handling of the case by the trial court, arguing that the issue of jurisdiction should have been resolved before other aspects of the dispute were considered.
