Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s bloc of the African Democratic Party has begun to shop for a politician from the southern part of the country as a running mate in the 2027 election, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
The bloc is said to be looking in the direction of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi.
Our correspondents gathered that should Obi decline to run with the former VP, Atiku would look in the direction of a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Saturday, a political ally of Atiku, Mr Dele Momodu, urged Obi to join forces with Atiku to unseat President Bola Tinubu
Momodu described Atiku and Obi as the strongest potential alliance capable of ending the hold of the All Progressives Congress on power.
Recall that both men ran on a joint Peoples Democratic Party ticket in the 2019 election but lost to then-incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2023, they ran separately—Atiku on the PDP platform and Obi on the LP structure, but lost to Tinubu.
With Atiku now registered as a member of the ADC and Obi still in LP, Momodu believes the two must close ranks ahead of 2027.
Momodu blamed the reluctance of both men to agree to work together on Obi’s supporters.
“That is why they are trying to make every party have only southern candidates. They don’t want any strong opposition from the opposite direction (North). There is no way any Southern candidate can defeat Tinubu.
“I have said this to Peter Obi. We have met several times in my houses in Lagos and Ghana. 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,” he added.
Warning that delay could cost Obi a major political opportunity, Momodu said Atiku may settle for Amaechi as his running mate.
“A lot of people are underrating Amaechi. Amaechi single-handedly handed power to Buhari. What the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, is doing now, though in an unruly manner, Amaechi did quite well when he was governor of Rivers State. Amaechi mobilised more than any other person for Buhari, even more than Tinubu. If Obi does not make up his mind or chooses to run alone, then I believe the mantle might fall on Rotimi Amaechi.”
On efforts to reconcile both men politically, Momodu said, “I have told Obi. There is no time.
PUNCH
