The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has not confirmed reports that its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has picked former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Several media outlets reported that Atiku has chosen Mr Amaechi, who is a former governor of Rivers State and the runner-up in the ADC presidential primary, as his vice-presidential nominee.
But when PREMIUM TIMES reached out on Saturday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said he could not confirm this information.
“I don’t have that confirmation. I cannot confirm for you at this time,” Mr Abdullahi said in a phone interview.
When asked if the search for a running mate was still going on, the ADC spokesperson did not give more details.
“All I can tell you is that I don’t have information. You asked me to confirm something and I have said I don’t have information in that regard,” he stated.
Mr Abdullahi did mention that the party will eventually announce a vice-presidential candidate.
“Definitely we will have a running mate. But to confirm specifically the question you asked me, I’m not able to confirm now. If I have any further information, I will let you know,” he said.
Speculation on the Rise
The talks about a possible Atiku-Amaechi ticket have increased since the ADC presidential primary, which Atiku won against Mr Amaechi and other candidates.
Reports suggest that Atiku is looking for a North-East/South-South pairing for the 2027 election, with Atiku coming from Adamawa State and Mr Amaechi from Rivers State.
If confirmed, this pairing would unite two well-known opposition politicians who previously worked under former President Muhammadu Buhari and are important figures in Nigeria’s politics.
Speculation grew after ADC leader Chukwuemeka Eze dismissed claims that Mr Amaechi turned down an offer for the vice-presidential position.
Mr Eze responded to comments made by party member Dele Momodu, who suggested that the former transportation minister was not willing to accept the vice-presidential role.
In a statement, Mr Eze said there was no reason to believe that Mr Amaechi rejected any offer, adding that the former minister simply said, after the party’s primary, that nobody had approached him for the position.
He advised party members to avoid speculation that could create tension or misunderstandings within the ADC.
Similarities to 2023
The current situation is drawing comparisons to the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election when Atiku, after beating former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, selected then Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
Political watchers believe that choosing Mr Amaechi, if confirmed, could enhance the ADC’s attractiveness in the South-South and strengthen its efforts to create a wider opposition alliance for the upcoming general election.
This development comes as political realignments are happening ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties and coalitions stepping up discussions on strategies to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
As of now, neither Atiku nor Mr Amaechi has publicly confirmed the reports.
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