APC, ADC Trade Barbs Over Amaechi’s Claim About Mother’s Death

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have exchanged accusations after ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi said rising medicine costs under President Bola Tinubu’s administration made it difficult for his family to care for his late mother.

Amaechi made the claim during a Friday interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying his mother had been healthy before Tinubu became president but that the rising cost of drugs later made her treatment difficult. His comments triggered a response from the ruling APC.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka described Amaechi’s remarks as irresponsible and criticised his record after leaving public office. The party noted that Amaechi had served as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, governor of the state and Minister of Transportation.

The APC also questioned Amaechi’s ability to earn a living outside public office and accused him of seeking the ADC vice-presidential ticket as a route back into government. In its statement, the party said the presidency would not be a “soup kitchen” for the former governor.

Amaechi’s mother, Dame Ezinne Mary Oduah Amaechi, died on July 16, 2026, at the age of 89. The APC statement began with condolences over her death before turning to criticism of Amaechi’s comments and political record.

The ADC Presidential Campaign Council rejected the APC’s response, describing it as “political cruelty” rather than an answer to the economic concerns raised by Amaechi. Its Director of Strategic Communications, Phrank Shaibu, said the death of a family member should not become material for partisan attacks.

Shaibu argued that Nigerians struggling to afford healthcare and other basic needs should not be labelled as “loafers”. He said the ADC believed the government should be judged by whether citizens could afford treatment, live safely and earn a decent living, while criticising the Tinubu administration over economic hardship, electricity, roads, security and welfare.

The exchange comes as political parties and their candidates position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. Amaechi is the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate, while both parties continue to frame the dispute around the wider debate over economic hardship and the performance of the Tinubu administration. The claims about the cause of Amaechi’s mother’s death remain Amaechi’s personal account and have not been independently established as a medical finding.