● Details of last-minute intrigues of how against all odds, Atiku stood his ground and chose Amaechi as Vice Presidential candidate
Though the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally announced the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to its presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, many intrigues, it was said, characterised how the choice was eventually arrived at.
Insiders in the party, at the weekend, shared the details of the last-minute intrigues that heralded the choice of Amaechi.
According to the sources, some close associates of the former vice-president had calculated that the best zone to pick a running mate from ahead of the 2027 race is the South-East.
It was gathered that in a desperate bid to ensure a South-Eastern candidate filled the slot, names were thrown up, including the like of Senator Ben Obi; Hon Emeka Ihedioha and the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala.
Another source stated that it was argued that if a candidate from the South-East would not work, a long-standing ally of Atiku and former governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, should be considered.
It was learnt that some party stakeholders believed that in the absence of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, on a joint ticket with Atiku, a strong name from the South-East, should be fished out for the VP slot.
Sources further said that while party leaders were busy sieving from the who is who on the long list, a delegation led by another top chieftain of the party from the North-East was sent to Okonjo-Iweala during her recent birthday celebration.
It was learnt that while the visit was made to look like a birthday felicitation, the leader of the team, a former top shot in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had also joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at a stage, met with Okonjo-Iweala to discuss the agenda.
A source stated that Okonjo-Iweala was non-committal on the project, but that she advised the team to consult widely in Nigeria before making a choice.
Said a source in the know: “The ADC’s decision to pick Amaechi was not a straightforward issue as it looked. Though he appeared to be their best choice ab initio, having come second in the primary election and being the stand-out candidate from the South. Some forces in the party, however, believed that a candidate of the South-East origin would do well for the party.
“So, they orchestrated an agenda to draft Okonjo-Iweala into the race as the running mate to Atiku.
A top political face from the North-East led a delegation to visit the former Minister, who is the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, to brief her on the development. We understood that the woman did not give categorical answers, but she was said to have advised that the team should search widely and consult well across the regions of South-East and South-South ahead of the election.
“We were still on that when the name of the former governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, came up. He was also regarded as a strong ally of the former vice-president who could rally the South-South behind the ADC candidate.
“However, elders of the party came together in a last-minute move and advised against toying with anything that could cause further division. It was at that point the party resolved that Amaechi, who had been the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and a former Minister of Transportation, be picked as Atiku’s running mate.”
The source said that while all the moves were ongoing, Atiku, however, maintained a close touch with Amaechi, leading to a smooth process at the end of the day.
