By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi has explained how he and ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, collaborated in galvanising the coalition of opposition and eventually adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Amaechi said both of them decided to expand the opposition coalition to accommodate more people after discussing the idea.
The former governor of Rivers State spoke on X Spaces titled: ‘Weekend Politics’ last weekend.
The coalition currently has opposition politicians like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
Others include former Senate President David Mark, former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, and former Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi, among others.
Many Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members have defected to the ADC.
Amaechi, in the viral audio, said: “ADC has overgrown those that started it.
“The coalition started between I and Fayemi in the house of Nasiru Danu, with Salihu Mohammed (Mustapha) and others.
“When we met, Salihu commenced the meeting. He wanted us to reconcile.
“After reconciliation, we agreed to broaden it so that it would involve more than just the two of us talking about starting a new party.
“Then, we got a consultant to help us look at the political structure and that of INEC to determine which party will be most suitable.
“Then, we expanded by getting Tambuwal (Senator Aminu) and others. By the time we did that, we had grown to about 20 to 30.
“We thereafter set up a committee to look for any of the available parties to join.
“The committee, after negotiating with several parties like AA (Action Alliance), Accord Party, ended up with ADC
“One of the requirements we set was that the party must give up its leadership so that everyone can join.
“I think ADC complied with our conditions. At this point, the coalition had grown too large with several other committees.
“There were other group meetings like the one in Kashim’s (Imam) house and others in Lagos.
“At the end of the day, we all thereafter agreed to come together in ADC.”
Fayemi: I remain APC member in Ekiti
After Amaechi’s comment went viral, Fayemi issued a statement to clear the air on his role and the speculation that he had left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the ADC.
The statement by the Head of Fayemi Media Office, Abuja, Ahmad Sajoh, said: “In spite of efforts to verify this statement, which has gained traction on social and digital media, we have found no credible evidence to support it.
“No video of Hon. Amaechi making these claims or reports from reputable media organisations has been located.
“In an era where fabricated or distorted statements are often attributed to public figures for malicious purposes, we are cautious about engaging with potentially manufactured controversies designed to provoke or profit.
“It is possible that Hon. Amaechi did not make the statement or was misquoted.
“We unequivocally state that these claims lack any basis.
“Dr Fayemi remains a committed member and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.”
According to the statement, Fayemi has, at various public forums in Ekiti and other places, consistently affirmed his dedication to the APC, working to address its challenges and advance its progressive ideals for Nigeria.
“Furthermore, Dr Fayemi has publicly endorsed His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, Governor of Ekiti State, for re-election, clearly supporting his candidacy for the APC gubernatorial ticket. This underscores his loyalty to the APC.
“We urge the public to treat any news concerning Fayemi with caution, particularly when it originates solely from social media,” the statement added.