A political faction aligned with former vice-president Atiku Abubakar within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has begun searching for a southern running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with eyes firmly on Labour Party standard-bearer in 2023, Peter Obi. Should Obi decline, attention is expected to shift swiftly to former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, according to party insiders.
Dele Momodu, a close ally of Atiku, urged Obi to join forces with the former VP, arguing that only a renewed Atiku-Obi alliance could unseat President Bola Tinubu. The pair ran jointly under the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019, losing to Muhammadu Buhari; in 2023, they contested separately and again fell short, fractured opposition proving decisive.
Now in the ADC, Atiku is yet to resolve whether Obi—still officially in Labour—will accept such an overture. Momodu was blunt, blaming reluctance on what he described as the intransigence of Obi’s supporters, and warning that delay could cost him a rare opening. If Obi demurs, he said, Amaechi would be a formidable alternative. “A lot of people are underrating Amaechi,” he argued, praising the former governor’s role in Buhari’s rise and describing him as potentially more influential than Tinubu in 2015.
Momodu insisted the clock is ticking. Tinubu, he warned, is consolidating power — coaxing and pressuring governors, senators and party structures nationwide. “He wants to create a false image of someone who cannot be defeated,” he said, adding that unless the opposition aligns early, manipulation could be framed as inevitability.
Obi’s camp appears cautious. Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obidient Movement and Obi’s spokesperson, confirmed the ex-governor’s readiness to contest in 2027 but demanded clarity from Atiku’s bloc on its terms and vision. A joint ticket, he suggested, may not be feasible, insisting that a strong southern candidate remains the most credible path to defeating Tinubu. Tanko also said Obi was open to serving a single term to complete what he called the South’s “interrupted cycle.”
Amaechi, meanwhile, is said to be positioning himself for the ADC presidential ticket, though allies admit the calculus could change. One aide said Amaechi was eyeing a northern vote bloc, arguing a northern candidate may prove more viable. Another ally, however, urged realism: if Amaechi cannot beat Atiku in the primary, a pre-primary deal—including a running mate slot—might be the wiser play.
For now, neither Amaechi nor the ADC’s national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, has commented publicly, leaving speculation to swirl. The opposition appears divided, timelines are tightening, and ambitions are clashing—with the central question unresolved: who, if anyone, is willing to take the second seat?
