Atiku Abubakar Chooses Amaechi Over Okonjo-Iweala

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), nearly chose Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, as his running mate for the 2027 elections. However, he ultimately settled on Rotimi Amaechi.

This decision was influenced by significant behind-the-scenes political maneuvering and strategic calculations within the party hierarchy following Atiku's primary victory, where he garnered 1,846,370 votes, with Amaechi finishing second at 504,117 votes. A major faction within the ADC believed that the South East geopolitical zone should leverage the vice presidential slot, especially after the absence of a joint ticket with Peter Obi.

High-level discussions involving prominent figures from the South East culminated in a discreet political mission to approach Okonjo-Iweala, who remained non-committal. The ADC's decision to select Amaechi was not straightforward, as there were concerns about protracted debates fracturing party cohesion.

Ultimately, Atiku maintained a steady communication with Amaechi throughout the internal deliberations.