Former Transportation Minister and prospective Vice-Presidential nominee, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is to head the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organization of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The decision to appoint the former presidential aspirant as Director General of the ADC Presidential Campaign Organisation, it was gathered, is part of Abubakar’s plans to deliver a reformed Presidency if elected President in the January 16, 2027 presidential poll.
According to a reliable source, Amaechi was considered for the job of steering Atiku’s campaigns in absence of any state governor in ADC as well as his experience in a similar position when he delivered the late Muhammadu Buhari in the historic defeat on an incumbent, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, in the 2015 poll.
The Guardian learned that part of the propositions pushed on the table during discussions to convince the former Transportation Minister to accept the VP role in the anticipated Atiku Abubakar Presidency, was the offer of free hand to play wide ranging roles during the electioneering and in the reformed Presidency being designed by the former Vice President.
The source, a former ranking Senator and Ambassador, disclosed that having observed the tenuous relationships between various presidents and their deputies after leaving office in 2007, Atiku believes that Nigeria’s Presidency is due for urgentreforms.
He said: ”From (President Umaru) Yar’Adua through (Dr Good luck) Jonathan and Buhari, the last three years under Bola Tinubu have exposed the imperfections of the Nigeria Presidency.
”Atiku believes that while the US Presidency assigns clear constitutional roles to the VP, the Nigerian counterpart is made to serve according to the whims of the President.
”So, in absence of such constitutional stipulations that assign direct responsibilities to the VP, Atiku wants to forge a partnership Presidency with Amaechi taking charge of key functions.”
He remarked that the former VP is thinking of the planned changes based on his experience during President Obasanjo’s second term when cooperation gave way to friction and confrontation.”
“Atiku wants to turn that sad and sour experience into the benefit of his running mate to ensure that fears and suspicions that give rise to adversarial relationship between the President and vice do not arise.
”He wants to be that president that acknowledges that the office is one big room with two big doors. This is why he said he wants to show by example how that the VP should not be either a spare tire or a tea-server.”
The Guardian was also informed that former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who would have been chosen as Amaechi’s presidential running mate will likely serve as the Deputy Director General of the Atiku/Amaechi Presidential Campaign Organisation.
”When the VP is officially named this coming week and by the time the campaign organisation would be constituted, Nigerians will see how prepared the former Vice President is to rescue the country and strengthen the foundation for true Presidential system,” the source hinted.
A member of the ADC Policy Commmmittee, Dr Salihu Lukman, had disclosed that the party plans a collegiate system of administration to avoid a winner-takes-all tendency that have been the bane of successive Presidencies.
Lukman had pointed out that some of the policy reviews envisaged by the ADC would ensure that party leadership stands strong as guide to the executive and legislature.
