Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), completing his registration at Ward 8, Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, on Friday morning.

The registration came hours after unknown assailants set the ADC office in the community ablaze. The fire gutted a section of the party office, sending shockwaves through the neighbourhood. No arrests had been made at the time of Amaechi’s registration.

Addressing a large crowd of supporters, Amaechi appealed for calm, urging his loyalists to resist any temptation toward violence.

“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.

Amaechi expressed satisfaction with the conduct of security operatives deployed to the area, particularly the state commissioner of police and the director of the Department of State Services (DSS), praising their professionalism.

“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.

He also called on security agencies to quickly identify and prosecute those responsible for the arson, warning that intimidation would not deter the party’s activities.

Amaechi’s defection to the ADC marks a major boost for the opposition party, which has been ramping up its national profile ahead of the 2027 general elections.