Former Rotimi Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transportation, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), completing his registration at Ward 8 in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, on Friday morning.
The registration came hours after unknown persons set ablaze the ADC’s office in the community in the early hours of the same day.
Residents reportedly woke up to the fire, which destroyed a section of the party office and triggered panic across the neighbourhood. No arrests had been made as of the time the registration exercise was conducted.
Amaechi, who addressed supporters that gathered in large numbers to welcome him, urged calm and warned against any form of retaliation.
“Don’t be violent because violence may lead to the death of somebody don’t be violent. At the same time, they can’t stop us from meeting in our community,” he said.
Despite the tense situation surrounding the incident, Amaechi commended the conduct of security personnel deployed to the area, particularly the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
“We thank the commissioner of police and the director of DSS; they showed a lot of professionalism. In fact, I wasn’t expecting that from them; I thought they would be behind the criminals,” he said.
The former minister further urged security agencies to swiftly identify and prosecute those responsible for the arson, stressing that acts of intimidation would not stop the party’s activities in the area.
Amaechi’s defection to the ADC is seen as a significant boost for the opposition party as it intensifies efforts to expand its national presence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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