The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, reportedly considered several prominent figures, including former Finance Minister and Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, before eventually naming former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
According to a report by the Nigerian Tribune, the selection process involved extensive consultations and competing views within the party over which region should produce the vice-presidential candidate.
The newspaper reported that some of Atiku's associates believed the South-East offered the party its best chance of broadening support. Among those reportedly considered for the position were former PDP National Chairman Ben Obi, former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha and Okonjo-Iweala.
Party sources also told the newspaper that former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke emerged as another strong option if the party decided against a South-East candidate.
According to the report, some stakeholders argued that with Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, not part of Atiku's coalition, the ADC should field a respected South-East figure as the vice-presidential candidate.
The Nigerian Tribune further reported that a delegation led by a senior North-East politician visited Okonjo-Iweala during her recent birthday celebration. Although the visit was publicly presented as a goodwill gesture, sources claimed political discussions were also held.
A source quoted by the newspaper said, "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 believed that a candidate of 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."
According to the report, Okonjo-Iweala did not give a firm response to the proposal. Instead, she reportedly advised the delegation to carry out broader consultations before reaching a final decision.
The source added, "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."
As consultations continued, Imoke's name also gained traction because of his relationship with Atiku and his political influence in the South-South, the report said.
The source further said, "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, party elders eventually backed Amaechi, arguing that reopening the process could create fresh divisions within the party.
According to the source, "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 Nigerian Tribune also reported that Atiku maintained close communication with Amaechi throughout the consultations, helping to ensure a smooth conclusion to the selection process.
Neither Atiku, Amaechi, Okonjo-Iweala nor Imoke had publicly responded to the claims in the report as of the time of publication.
