‘Atiku Picks Running Mate For 2027 Elections’

Barring any last-minute change, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reportedly picked former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the January 16, 2027, presidential election.

It could be recalled that Amaechi visited Atiku in Abuja on Monday, June 8. The closed-door meeting further fuels speculation over the ADC’s running mate calculations ahead of 2027.

Naijapunchnews understands that the latest decision followed weeks of negotiations within the opposition coalition, especially after disagreements that trailed the presidential primary and the movement of some key figures to rival political platforms.

Atiku’s choice of Amaechi is seen as a major political calculation aimed at strengthening the ADC’s national spread and countering the rival ticket of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso on the Nigeria Democratic Congress platform.

The development is expected to produce what some political actors have described as an “AA” ticket, with Atiku from the North-East and Amaechi from the South-South.

Amaechi Accepts After Pressure

Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor, had earlier insisted that he was not seeking the vice-presidential slot after purchasing and returning his ₦90 million presidential nomination form.

He had also dismissed suggestions that the party should adopt a consensus arrangement, insisting on a direct primary.

However, according to The Guardian, sources close to the former minister said he later accepted the offer after pressure and appeals from influential political leaders from the North-West and the South-South.

A close ally of Amaechi said Atiku gave assurances that the vice-presidential nominee would play a major role in both the campaign and a possible ADC government.

According to the source, Atiku assured that the “VP nominee would have extensive roles to play in the campaigns and government”.

The development appears to mark a departure from Atiku’s approach in the build-up to the 2023 election, when he declined to pick former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who came second in the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primary.

Before the latest development, an ADC chieftain, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, had faulted comments credited to party stalwart Dele Momodu, suggesting that Amaechi had rejected the vice-presidential slot ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a statement posted on his verified social media accounts, Eze described Momodu’s remarks as a personal opinion that could create unnecessary tension, mistrust and misunderstanding within the party.

He explained that Amaechi’s earlier comments after the ADC presidential primary only meant that nobody had formally approached him about becoming a running mate.

Eze maintained that the former minister remained a major figure in the party and should not be dragged into needless speculation capable of weakening the ADC ahead of the election.

Meanwhile, Atiku has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of acting against the spirit and legacy of June 12.

In a statement personally signed by him to mark Democracy Day, the former Vice President said Nigerians must stand against bad governance, intimidation and what he described as democratic backsliding.

He said the June 12 struggle would lose its meaning if citizens refused to defend the freedoms for which many Nigerians suffered.

Atiku said Nigerians must “once again summon the courage of those who marched, protested, resisted, suffered and sacrificed for freedom” if June 12 must retain its true meaning.

He added that the country’s democratic space had come under pressure in the last three years.

Atiku alleged that the APC-led Federal Government had been working to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, Nigerians have witnessed what he called a deliberate and coordinated attempt to fragment and neutralise opposition political platforms.

He said the tactics allegedly being used included manufactured leadership crises, orchestrated defections, political intimidation and abuse of state institutions.

The former Vice President said every credible opposition platform had come under sustained attack as the country moved closer to another election season.

He also alleged that institutions expected to serve Nigerians impartially were being turned into instruments of partisan warfare.

Atiku said anti-graft agencies, the police, the National Assembly and even segments of the judiciary had allegedly been deployed to harass, intimidate and pressure opposition voices into submission or defection.

The ADC presidential candidate urged Nigerians not to allow intimidation or fear to determine the future of the country’s democracy.

He said June 12 should not only be remembered as a date in Nigeria’s political history but as a reminder that citizens have the power to resist oppression and defend their rights.

Atiku called on Nigerians to reject politics that weakens institutions, silences opposition and undermines the will of the people.

He said the sacrifices of pro-democracy activists, journalists, labour leaders, students and ordinary citizens would be meaningless if Nigerians allowed the democratic gains of the Fourth Republic to be eroded.