Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar won the African Democratic Congress presidential primary. Now party insiders want him to pick Rotimi Amaechi as running mate.
Amaechi is the ex-governor of Rivers State and a heavyweight in Nigerian politics. Party stakeholders have warmed to the idea, sources told Advocate.
Atiku visited Amaechi shortly after winning the primary to seek his backing. The move signalled confidence in the former Rivers chief executive.
Party officials say the final decision will wait until Atiku returns from his overseas trip. No timeline has been set for the announcement.
Four names emerged as frontrunners for the vice presidential slot. They included Amaechi, Imo's former governor Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Austin Akobundu, and Chief Emeka Nwajuba.
Inside party circles, the thinking is strategic and regional. A source explained the mathematics to our reporters.
"President Tinubu represents the South West," the insider noted. "Peter Obi of the Labour Party comes from the South East."
He continued: "Only the South South lacks a presidential candidate from that zone." Amaechi's emergence would address this gap, he argued.
Party leaders believe Amaechi can mobilise voters across the southern region. His political machinery remains formidable in the South South particularly.
Another consideration weighs in Amaechi's favour, according to party sources. His role as director-general of President Buhari's 2015 campaign could prove useful.
"He can reach disgruntled APC members," one party official suggested. Such defections could strengthen the ADC's electoral prospects significantly.
An opposition summit in Ibadan had earlier raised Governor Seyi Makinde's profile. Atiku was thought to be considering the Oyo governor seriously.
But Makinde chose a different path entirely. He announced plans to run for president on the Allied Peoples Movement platform instead.
That decision left Amaechi as the clear favourite among top contenders. His credentials appeared strongest for the role.
Both Amaechi and Muhammed Hayatu-Deen had challenged Atiku in the primary race. They both contested the results, citing irregularities and vote-rigging allegations.
Party leadership has since resolved those tensions, sources say. The leadership worked quietly to heal internal divisions.
Once Atiku touches down from abroad, formal talks will begin in earnest. Party operatives are preparing for aggressive campaigning once the ticket is complete.
The ADC sees Amaechi's nomination as a game-changer for 2023. Electoral arithmetic favours a South South running mate, party strategists believe.
