Former Minister of Transportation and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of misrepresenting the outcome of the 2013 Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) election.
Amaechi made the allegation during an interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, where he revisited key events that shaped his political career and reflected on his relationships with prominent political figures.
According to Amaechi, he confronted Obi during a Catholic church service over Obi’s position on the disputed NGF election, which remains one of the most significant political disputes in Nigeria’s recent history.
Amaechi said the encounter occurred while both men were preparing to receive Holy Communion.
“I knelt down for Holy Communion and Peter knelt by my side,” Amaechi recalled.
“I said, ‘Peter, you’re here?’ Then I told him, ‘The requirement for Holy Communion is that you must be in the state of grace, and being in the state of grace includes that you won’t tell lies.’”
The former Rivers governor said he challenged Obi directly over what he described as false claims regarding the election result.
“I said, ‘Peter, you have lied. We are before the altar of God. If you swear here that I did not win that election, I will resign,’” Amaechi stated.
According to him, Obi declined to make the declaration.
“He said, ‘No, it’s politics,’” Amaechi claimed.
Amaechi maintained that the outcome of the election was clear and that he emerged victorious after securing 19 votes, while former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang received 16 votes.
“The election held,” he said. “When we voted, it was 19 for Amaechi and 16 for Jang.”
He argued that the result was witnessed by governors who participated in the process and should not have been a subject of dispute.
“Whoever became chairman was chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum,” Amaechi added.
The 2013 Nigeria Governors’ Forum election triggered a major crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At the time, Amaechi was seeking re-election as chairman of the forum but faced opposition from figures aligned with the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Although Amaechi was declared winner after the vote, the PDP leadership rejected the outcome and backed Jonah Jang as chairman of a rival faction of the forum. The disagreement deepened divisions within the ruling party and contributed to the political realignments that followed in the years leading up to the 2015 general election.
Several influential governors and party leaders eventually left the PDP, while Amaechi became one of the prominent figures who joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), which went on to defeat the PDP in the presidential election.
Despite his criticism of Obi, Amaechi said the two men enjoyed a strong working relationship during their time in the Governors’ Forum.
“Peter was my deputy when I was chairman of the Governors’ Forum,” he said.
“We had a wonderful relationship. Good friendship amongst us.”
However, he insisted that Obi’s position on the 2013 election was not truthful and stood by his account of the events.
Obi has not publicly responded to Amaechi’s latest remarks.
The comments come at a time of renewed political activity ahead of the 2027 general election, with discussions continuing around possible opposition coalitions and realignments.
Amaechi, who left the APC in 2025, has in recent months spoken extensively on issues relating to governance, electoral reforms and the future of Nigeria’s political system.
His latest comments are expected to draw attention because they revisit a political dispute that played a significant role in reshaping the country’s political landscape more than a decade ago.
