Atiku 2027 VP search intensifies as his bloc targets a southern running mate, with Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi emerging as leading options.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s faction of the African Democratic Congress has begun an Atiku 2027 VP search, turning to the South for a running mate and placing Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi at the centre of early negotiations.
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According to senior party insiders, the bloc is prioritising a southern candidate who can broaden national appeal ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
The first option remains former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, with former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi identified as a strong alternative.
A close ally of Atiku, media publisher Dele Momodu, urged Obi to unite with Atiku in what he described as the most formidable partnership capable of dislodging President Bola Tinubu.
Momodu recalled that both men previously contested together on a joint Peoples Democratic Party ticket in 2019.
He argued that their separate 2023 bids weakened the opposition, insisting that a decisive alliance was now crucial.
Momodu said Obi’s supporters were complicating efforts to build consensus, warning that delay could derail a major political opening.
Momodu added that should Obi decline, Amaechi remained a potent option, describing him as an influential political force who played a critical role in the 2015 victory of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the former minister’s mobilisation capacity made him a credible running mate for Atiku.
Efforts to broker talks appear ongoing.
Momodu confirmed that Atiku and Obi still communicate, although he suggested that the Labour Party’s weakening structure and internal divisions had added pressure on Obi to make a definitive decision.
Meanwhile, the Obidient Movement reaffirmed Obi’s readiness to contest in 2027.
Its National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, said the terms of any alliance must be clearly defined, adding that the presidency ought to remain in the South through a candidate with national mobility, depth and reformist credibility.
Tanko also noted that Obi was committed to a single term if elected.
Within the ADC, competing interests continue to shape the political landscape.
An aide to Rotimi Amaechi revealed that the former governor is focused on securing the party’s presidential ticket, though he acknowledged that political dynamics could shift before the primaries.
Another ally said negotiating a vice presidential slot ahead of the primaries might be strategically wise.
ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, and Amaechi’s media adviser, David Iyofor, declined to comment when contacted.
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As manoeuvres intensify, party insiders expect clearer alignments early next year, with Atiku’s camp increasingly determined to secure a powerful and tactically balanced ticket.
