Barely one week after the African Democratic Congress (ADC) announced former Transport Minister Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as its Vice-Presidential candidate, the decision has continued to unsettle the party. Party chieftains loyal to presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and supporters of the Vice-Presidential nominee are quarreling over the choice and calling for his substitution.
Internal Rift Over Amaechi's Nomination
Checks revealed that both parties to the simmering trouble in ADC are maintaining studied silence. However, supporters of the former Transportation Minister have convinced him to proceed with a court case against the ADC presidential primary if, by June 27, his name is uploaded on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) portal.
Recall that last Monday, June 5, the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed that Amaechi had been chosen as the running mate for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing the ADC presidential pairing as a “unity and rescue” ticket.
Atiku Loyalists Oppose Amaechi
No sooner was Amaechi’s choice made public than loyalists of Atiku started kicking against the nomination of the former Rivers State governor. They contend that he is being propelled by associates of former President Muhammadu Buhari from the All Progressives Congress (APC) bloc. Further, Atiku’s allies, largely drawn from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) splinter, alleged that Amaechi demonstrates unyielding independent-mindedness that would make it impossible for them to find relevance in the emerging scheme of things.
According to a former prominent member of the Buhari administration, Atiku’s supporters were incensed by the hasty way some ADC leaders pressured the former Vice President to concede to a number of conditionalities tabled by Amaechi, including the management of presidential campaigns.
Party Crisis Averted by Power-Sharing Agreement
“What some of those attacking Amaechi’s selection do not know was that the party was heading towards disintegration on account of the aftermath of the presidential primary, which was done through the cumbersome direct methodology,” the source stated.
“Some of us from the North West wanted a situation where a younger candidate from the South should fly the party’s flag, but none of us was bold enough to campaign against the former Vice President and he mobilised forces and won. So, when the issue of who should deputise him arose, there was a big problem.”
He disclosed that based on the hot air blown by the party’s presidential aspirants—Mohammed Hayatu-Deen and Amaechi, as well as former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir David Lawal—the party’s leaders moved in to contain the ensuing misgivings.
“Those kicking against Amaechi’s selection are misguided. We had a crisis on our hands; Amaechi was threatening court action against the presidential primary and that was something that the party could not afford to risk. The give and take that was put together by the elders of the party brought tempers down,” he added.
Power-Sharing Agreement Defended
“The powersharing agreement was partly the initiative of the former Vice President, because he maintained that the image of two-fighting on the presidential ballot would open the avenue for the ruling party to further intrude in the internal affairs of ADC. To that extent, it would be wrong for anybody to say that preconditions set by Amaechi to accept the VP position was excessive.”
He stated that any attempt to alter the arrangement could lead to prolonged litigation that could worsen ADC’s chances at winning the January 18, 2027 presidential ballot. He stressed that the two Southern ADC stakeholders pushing to replace Amaechi do not have national political clout to improve the ticket as a better option.
Atiku's Son Dismisses Rift Reports
Dismissing reports about an ongoing recrimination between his father and Amaechi’s supporters over the Atiku/Amaechi joint ADC presidential ticket, one of the sons of the former Vice President, Shehu Abubakar, stated on his Facebook page: “My brother, I was with the incoming Vice President of Nigeria this morning. We look forward to working with you to salvage our country from the catastrophic APC. You know our VP is also a lawyer, so if you need help in the ADC court case, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
