Barring any last-minute changes, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reportedly secured a possible “AA” ticket on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by selecting former Transportation Minister Chibuike Amaechi as his running mate. The development follows weeks of intense negotiations within the coalition platform and is seen as a strategic response to the “OK” ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on the rival NDC platform ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
By choosing Amaechi, Atiku appears to have avoided repeating the events that preceded the 2023 election, when he declined to select former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike as his running mate despite Wike finishing second in the PDP presidential primary. Although Obi and Kwankwaso later joined the ADC, speculation persisted that the party had long intended to pair Atiku with Amaechi to achieve a North-East/South-South balance on its presidential ticket.
Amaechi had previously dismissed suggestions that he was interested in a vice-presidential slot, insisting after purchasing and submitting his N90 million presidential nomination form that he was pursuing the presidency. He also rejected reports of a possible Atiku-Amaechi ticket following Obi and Kwankwaso’s departure from the ADC, maintaining in May that any candidate should emerge through a direct primary rather than a consensus arrangement.
However, a close ally of Amaechi disclosed that the former minister eventually accepted the offer after assurances from Atiku that the vice-presidential nominee would play a significant role both during the campaign and in government. Meanwhile, ADC chieftain Eze Chukwuemeka Eze dismissed comments attributed to party stalwart Dele Momodu suggesting that Amaechi had rejected the vice-presidential position.
In a statement released on his verified social media accounts, Eze described the remarks as personal opinions capable of creating unnecessary tension and misunderstanding within the party, adding that Amaechi had only stated that no formal approach had been made to him regarding the position. Separately, Atiku used his Democracy Day message to criticise the administration of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that recent actions by the government run contrary to the spirit and legacy of June 12.
He called on Nigerians to resist bad governance, reject intimidation and oppose what he described as democratic backsliding, stressing that citizens must uphold the sacrifices made by those who fought for democracy. Atiku further alleged that opposition parties had faced coordinated efforts to weaken and divide them ahead of the 2027 elections through leadership crises, defections, political intimidation and the misuse of state institutions. According to him, institutions including anti-graft agencies, the police, the National Assembly and sections of the judiciary have increasingly been used to pressure opposition figures into silence or defection.
Source: https://guardian.ng/
