The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declined to confirm reports that its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has chosen former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
The reports, published by several media organisations in recent days, claimed that Atiku had settled for Mr Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and runner-up in the ADC presidential primary, as his vice-presidential nominee.
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However, when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said he could not confirm the reports.
“I don’t have that confirmation. I cannot confirm for you at this time,” Mr Abdullahi said during a telephone interview.
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Asked whether the process of selecting a running mate was still ongoing, the ADC spokesperson declined to provide further 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 said.
Mr Abdullahi, however, noted that the party would 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 added.
Growing speculation
Speculation over a possible Atiku-Amaechi ticket has intensified since the conclusion of the ADC presidential primary, which Atiku won ahead of Mr Amaechi and other aspirants.
The reports suggested that the former vice-president had opted for a North-East/South-South combination ahead of the 2027 election, with Atiku from Adamawa State and Mr Amaechi from Rivers State.
If eventually confirmed, the pairing would bring together two prominent opposition politicians who previously served under former President Muhammadu Buhari and have remained influential figures in Nigeria’s political landscape.
The speculation gained further traction after ADC chieftain Chukwuemeka Eze dismissed claims that Mr Amaechi had rejected a possible vice-presidential offer.
Mr Eze was reacting to comments attributed to party stalwart Dele Momodu suggesting that the former transportation minister was unwilling to accept the vice-presidential position.
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In a statement, Mr Eze said there was no basis for concluding that Mr Amaechi had turned down any offer, noting that the former minister had only stated after the party’s primary that nobody had approached him regarding the position.
He cautioned party members against speculation capable of creating tension or misunderstanding within the ADC.
Echoes of 2023
The reported move has drawn comparisons with events leading to the 2023 presidential election, when Atiku, after defeating former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, chose then Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
Political observers say the choice of Mr Amaechi, if eventually confirmed, could strengthen the ADC’s appeal in the South-South and reinforce its efforts to build a broad opposition coalition ahead of the next general election.
The development comes amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 polls, with opposition parties and coalitions intensifying consultations over strategies to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
As of the time of filing this report, neither Atiku nor Mr Amaechi had publicly confirmed the reports.
