23/12/2025
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦.
2027 Presidential Race: “Count Me Out of Your Plans” — Amaechi Tells Atiku
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has firmly ruled himself out of deputising any presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, effectively ending speculations linking him to a possible vice-presidential slot under Atiku Abubakar.
Amaechi, drawing from his long political resume — former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term governor, and federal minister — made it clear that he sees himself only as a principal contender, not a deputy, in the unfolding 2027 permutations.
He has often been mentioned in political circles as a potential running mate to Atiku, who is believed to be positioning himself for the ADC presidential ticket. But speaking at a public event in Abuja, Amaechi dismissed all such calculations.
“I will not be vice president to anybody. There are too many reasons why I won’t be vice president to anybody.
The first reason is that I’m too presidential to be vice.”
By explicitly framing himself as “too presidential,” Amaechi not only ruled out deputising Atiku but also signalled that any coalition talks placing him below another candidate are dead on arrival — forcing Atiku and other opposition figures to explore alternative configurations.
Amaechi, who is also eyeing the ADC presidential ticket, argued that the problem with the vice-presidential office in Nigeria is structural, not ceremonial. According to him, the role is designed to be weak and subordinate, with its relevance depending largely on the temperament of the president.
“We will quarrel. Instead of that, I would rather be a minister than be a vice president.”
This position significantly reshapes opposition calculations ahead of 2027, narrowing coalition options and reinforcing the growing reality that ambitions — not alliances — may dominate the next electoral cycle.