2027 Poll: Amaechi Perfect Pick to Pair Atiku for President
By Ehichioya Ezomon
Online publication Radarr News reported on June 13, 2026: “BREAKING: Amaechi Finally Accepts Offer, Set to Be Announced as Atiku’s Running Mate.”
The report, citing Politics Nigeria, stated that former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has selected former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate for the 2027 general election.
According to the report, the choice followed the ADC presidential direct primary in which Atiku emerged as the party’s flagbearer, defeating Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. It added that a political breakthrough emerged after Atiku paid a reconciliation visit to Amaechi’s residence shortly after the primary.
That visit took place on May 28, 2026. Despite Amaechi’s anger over the alleged manipulation of the ADC primary, he received Atiku warmly, engaging in relaxed but meaningful conversations on national issues and personal matters, as later disclosed by Atiku on his X handle.
Vanguard reported Atiku as saying:
“This afternoon, I visited my brother and compatriot, former Governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, at his Abuja residence.
“Beyond the warmth and camaraderie, we had deep and honest conversations about the troubling state of our nation, the growing economic pain, insecurity, and the urgent responsibility on patriotic Nigerians to continue engaging in the search for solutions that can rescue our country from drift and despair.”
Atiku also congratulated Amaechi on his birthday and joked about Arsenal’s Premier League triumph, adding a lighter touch to the meeting.
In a statement issued on June 15, 2026, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi confirmed the Atiku-Amaechi pairing as a “unity and rescue ticket” capable of offering Nigerians a credible alternative platform.
Abdullahi said Amaechi’s selection followed consultations with party stakeholders, coalition partners, and representatives from across the country. He noted that the decision was influenced by Amaechi’s performance during the primary and his extensive public service record across both legislative and executive arms of government.
According to him, the Atiku-Amaechi partnership brings together two experienced political heavyweights with the national reach and leadership credentials needed to tackle Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.
Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen had rejected the ADC primary results, describing the exercise as manipulated, and boycotted the collation and declaration of results. The official figures showed Atiku polling 1,855,787 votes, Amaechi 509,397 votes, and Hayatu-Deen 180,903 votes.
Following the controversy, Atiku quickly moved to calm tensions. At a meeting at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, he appealed for party unity and urged Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to join him in building what he described as a formidable front to rescue Nigeria’s democracy.
Although Amaechi finished a distant second in the primary, he remains an ideal running mate for Atiku. His strong political influence in the South-South gives the ADC an advantage in a zone where Atiku will face stiff competition from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
With Obi no longer in the ADC, no southern figure in the party appears more qualified than Amaechi in terms of political experience, national reach, and influence.
Popularly known as “The Lion of Ubima”—a reference to his hometown in Rivers State—Amaechi boasts an intimidating résumé: eight years as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, eight years as Governor of Rivers State, two terms as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, and nearly eight years as Minister of Transportation.
Amaechi also served twice as Director-General of the Buhari-Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Council in 2015 and 2019, helping deliver consecutive APC victories. That record had already made him a strong candidate for Director-General of Atiku’s 2027 campaign before the vice-presidential consideration emerged.
By choosing Amaechi, Atiku may have corrected what many consider his biggest political mistake in 2023—failing to pick then-Rivers Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as his running mate.
During the 2022 PDP primary, Wike ran Atiku close until former Sokoto Governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, stepped down and directed his delegates to support Atiku. The move gave Atiku the edge, defeating Wike by 371 votes to 237.
Atiku’s later rejection of Wike, combined with his support for a northern national chairman—contrary to the PDP’s zoning principles—reportedly triggered the rebellion of Wike and four other PDP governors during the 2023 election.
Against this backdrop, one may ask: what exactly is “final” about Amaechi accepting to play second fiddle to Atiku?
Amaechi, who insists he is not against Tinubu personally but against his policies and governance style, had limited options. His political messaging repeatedly suggests he remains hungry for power—not for food, as he often phrases it—and determined to unseat Tinubu and the APC in 2027.
Rejecting Atiku’s offer could have effectively pushed Amaechi’s presidential ambitions far into the future. With power expected to remain in Southern Nigeria until 2031, declining the vice-presidential slot might have sidelined him until another cycle.
Like many ambitious Nigerian politicians, Amaechi’s pre-primary declaration that he did not buy ADC nomination forms to become a vice-presidential candidate now appears more tactical than absolute.
His actions suggested otherwise. By remaining in the ADC—a party many view as Atiku’s preferred political vehicle—Amaechi positioned himself strategically for the running mate slot.
Atiku had long been viewed as the overwhelming favourite to secure the ADC ticket, regardless of opposition from contenders such as Amaechi, Obi, or Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In my March 23, 2026 article titled “ADC Primary: Atiku to Pick Ticket, Obi, Amaechi Scramble for Running Mate,” I predicted exactly this outcome.
I wrote:
“If all things remain the same on Primary Day, Atiku Abubakar will pick the ADC ticket to challenge Tinubu in 2027.”
I further argued that while Obi might leave if he failed to secure the ticket, Amaechi’s position was different because he had already pledged to support whoever emerged from a credible primary.
That prediction has largely played out.
Obi not only walked away from the ADC but joined the NDC, where he reportedly secured the presidential ticket alongside Kwankwaso as running mate.
Amaechi, despite protesting the primary, stayed back and kept his eyes on the larger prize—pairing with Atiku for what promises to be a fierce 2027 opposition battle to unseat Tinubu from the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Congratulations—and good luck—to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for accepting the vice-presidential role and ahead of his formal unveiling to Nigerian voters.
• Mr Ezomon, journalist and media consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
