Political Earthquake: Atiku Reportedly Taps Amaechi for 2027 Presidential Ticket

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has reportedly chosen Chibuike Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election. This development was confirmed by an ADC chieftain, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, in a telephone interview, though he noted that an official statement from the party is still pending. Eze, who is described as a close ally of both Abubakar and Amaechi, stated that the arrangement has been finalized but awaits formal communication from the party leadership. He explicitly confirmed, "It is confirmed but no official statement is yet to be issued. Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi is the running mate to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar."

However, the confirmation of this selection has met with some internal party discrepancies. While former ADC chairman in Rivers State, Leader Sampson, also corroborated the report and affirmed Amaechi's acceptance of the nomination, the current state chairman, Dr. Chukwudi Dimkpa, emphasized that only the national leadership of the party is authorized to make such an announcement. Adding to the nuance, the ADC spokesman in Rivers State, Chizzy Enyi, stated that the former Vice President has yet to officially declare the nomination of the former Rivers State governor as his running mate.

The reported partnership follows the ADC's presidential primary election, which was conducted as a direct primary involving over 2.5 million votes from the party's 3.1 million registered members. In this contest, Atiku Abubakar secured a landslide victory to become the party's presidential candidate, amassing 1,855,787 votes. Chibuike Amaechi polled 509,397 votes, placing second, while businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen received 180,903 votes. Interestingly, prior to the primary, Amaechi had publicly declared that he did not purchase nomination forms with the intention of becoming a vice-presidential candidate.

Following the conclusion of the primary election, both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen reportedly expressed concerns regarding the transparency of the exercise, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the process. Nevertheless, political reconciliation efforts appear to have been initiated. Reports indicate that Atiku Abubakar visited Amaechi in Abuja shortly after the primaries, during which he appealed for party unity and urged stakeholders to collaborate in building a formidable political front in preparation for the 2027 general elections. With Amaechi's reported acceptance, party insiders anticipate a joint official announcement from the ADC leadership in due course.