Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s bloc within the African Democratic Party (ADC) has begun moves to select a running mate from the southern part of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

According to reports, the bloc was considering the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, as a possible choice.  It was also learnt that if Obi declined, Atiku would turn to former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as an alternative.

Speaking on Saturday, Atiku’s ally, Mr Dele Momodu, urged Obi to join forces with the former Vice President to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Momodu described the potential Atiku-Obi alliance as the strongest possible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He recalled that both men contested together on the Peoples Democratic Party ticket in the 2019 election but lost to then-President Muhammadu Buhari. In 2023, they ran separately, Atiku under the PDP and Obi under the Labour Party, but were defeated by Tinubu.

Momodu said:

“If Peter Obi does not take advantage of a ready-made union between him and Atiku, it would be very unfortunate. It would be as good as working for Tinubu to come back.”

Momodu warned that delay could cost Obi a major political opportunity, stressing that Atiku might settle for Amaechi. He argued that Amaechi had played a decisive role in Buhari’s rise to power in 2015.

“A lot of people are underrating Amaechi. Amaechi single-handedly handed power to Buhari… If Obi does not make up his mind or chooses to run alone, then I believe the mantle might fall on Rotimi Amaechi,” Momodu said.

Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and Obi’s spokesman, Mr Yunusa Tanko, reaffirmed Obi’s readiness to contest the presidency in 2027. He called for clarity from Atiku’s camp on what they expected from Obi.

Tanko suggested that a joint ticket with Atiku might not be feasible, insisting that a strong southern candidate remained the best path to defeating Tinubu.

He said:

“To secure Nigeria, we need a capable leader who has the ability to fix things. Obi has these qualities. We must understand that the Presidency is already in the South. We need to give support to Mr Peter Obi to complete the four years of the South.”

Tanko added that Obi was committed to serving a single term if elected.

One of Amaechi’s aides, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the former minister was focused on securing the ADC presidential ticket. He noted that while Amaechi was open to political negotiations, discussions about a vice-presidential slot were premature.

Another ally of Amaechi said, “Accepting Atiku’s running mate position may not be a bad idea. There will be too many brushes after the primary, so it is better to have a deal before the primary.”

Amaechi’s media aide, David Iyofor, declined to comment, while ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, was unavailable when contacted.