The National vice-chairman South - South of the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) Usani Uguru Usani, has stated that the endorsement of Rotimi Amaechi's 2027 presidential ambition does not foreclose support for other aspirants.
In a statement at the weekend, Usani said the applause and voice vote that followed Amaechi's declaration of interest should be understood as a pledge of support, but not a directive on individual members.
Usani noted that Amaechi informed leaders at the meeting of his intention to contest the presidency in 2027 and sought the backing of stakeholders from his geopolitical base.
A suggestion was subsequently made for a motion to uphold the request, after which the matter was briefly contextualised for the house, including a call for a general opinion from John Odigie-Oyegun, the regional leader.
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"At the call for response, there was a loud affirmative "AY" while a contrary call had no "NAY" response," the statement said.
He noted that the response amounted to an endorsement of Amaechi's aspiration, reflecting the mood of the gathering at the time.
However, Usani added that such endorsement should not be misinterpreted as an attempt to impose a uniform position on all party members across the south-south.
"This applause was a pledge to support him, which can be interpreted as endorsement," the statement added.
"Notably, this development does not compel individual actions based on conviction. It does not also imply that support base for other aspirants within the zone is non-existent.
"I find it compelling to offer this step-by-step procedure in order to guarantee the integrity of participants and equally secure the harmony of the forum as we look forward to more challenging eventualities in our general struggle."
The outcome of the meeting has since generated controversy within party about the scope and implication of the endorsement, particularly in relation to other potential contenders from the region.
Usani noted that while the voice votes signaled goodwill and regional solidarity, it does not foreclose political space for others who may wish to test their popularity within the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election.
Among those that had shown interest to contest the Presidency under the ADC apart from Amaechi are Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Mr
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