Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of transportation, has been chosen by African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to be his running mate in the next election.
According to reports, the development was verified on Saturday.
Leader Sampson, the most recent Chairman of the ADC in Rivers State, verified the news on Saturday.
When asked directly whether Amaechi had accepted the nomination to serve as vice-presidential candidate, Sampson simply replied, “Yes,” according to Daily Post.
The selection follows the recent ADC presidential primary election, a direct primary involving over 2.5 million votes cast from the party’s 3.1 million registered members. In that contest, Atiku emerged as the standard-bearer after securing a landslide victory with 1,855,787 votes, defeating Amaechi, who polled 509,397 votes, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who garnered 180,903 votes.
Amaechi had made it clear before the primary election that he had not bought the ADC presidential expression of interest and nomination forms with the goal of running for vice president.
Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen contested the exercise’s transparency after it was over, claiming that Atiku had benefited from manipulation of the internal procedure.
However, a recent reconciliation visit by Atiku to Amaechi’s home soon after the primaries is said to have crystallized a political breakthrough.
Atiku allegedly called for party unity and specifically asked Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to join him in creating a strong front to preserve Nigeria’s democracy during the meeting at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
This strategic choice is undoubtedly a positive move, bringing together experienced leadership and fresh energy for the ticket. We believe it has the potential to make a significant impact, and we wish Amaechi and Atiku the very best as they embark on this journey together.
