By Lateef Ibrahim
Former Vice President and newly elected presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday, held a crucial closed door meeting with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja.
Atiku, it will be recalled, emerged as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election on Wednesday night in Abuja at the end of the party’s primaries.
Amaechi, who came second in the ADC presidential primaries, however rejected the result, claiming that it was concorted.
In a swift and calculated move, Atiku went into a closed door meeting with Amaechi in Abuja, apparently with a view to ‘calming the fray nerve’ of the former Governor and erstwhile Minister of Transportation.
A credible source privy to the meeting suggested that the visit of Atiku to Amaechi may have come with an offer for the former governor to be a running mate on the ADC presidential ticket.
Yesterday’s meeting came less than 24 hours after Atiku secured a victory in the ADC presidential primary held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
Results announced by the party’s returning officer, Tunde Ogbeha, showed Atiku polling 1,846,370 votes, defeating Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes, while former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen scored 177,120 votes.
Atiku was accompanied to Amaechi’s residence by former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal, former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu and other senior party figures, in what observers see as part of an urgent reconciliation effort aimed at stabilising the opposition coalition ahead of 2027.
The ADC had adopted a direct primary system for the nationwide exercise after attempts to produce a consensus candidate reportedly failed. Voting took place across 8,809 wards nationwide, with Atiku recording commanding wins in several states, including Yobe and Imo.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku struck a conciliatory tone, insisting there were “no winners and no losers” in the contest.
He appealed directly to his rivals and aggrieved party members to unite behind the ADC ahead of the general election.
“I therefore appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us,” Atiku said.
He categorically invited Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to join him “in the fight to save Nigeria’s democracy,” promising to work with all stakeholders to strengthen the party and build a broad opposition front capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
