After much braggadocio that he would not accept a vice presidential ticket, former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, last week accepted to be running mate to the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, in the 2027 general election.
Announcing the decision, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Amaechi’s emergence followed broad consultations within the party and reflected his strong performance as runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries.
This development brings to mind a particular incident that occurred before the ADC presidential primary.
In a live interview, Amaechi was asked whether he would embrace a consensus arrangement and subsequently accept the role of vice-presidential candidate. At the time, he was contesting the ADC presidential primary alongside Atiku and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former managing director of the defunct FSB International Bank.
Amaechi, who was visibly incensed by the question, admonished the interviewer, saying: “Would you stop that nonsense? Stop that. I didn’t buy a form to be vice-president. Don’t you ever say it.
