FACT-CHECK: No evidence supports claim that Amaechi agreed to become Atiku’s running mate

Claim

Social media users claimed that former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi has agreed to become the vice presidential candidate for Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 election.

Verdict

This claim is FALSE. No report from a reputable news organisation or any source in Nigeria, confirmed the claim to be true as of 8 June.

Full Text

Party primaries for the presidential seat ended in late May with some candidates yet to name their running mate for the 2027 election.

It is expected that President Bola Tinubu will retain the current Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima while the candidate for the Nigerian Democratic Congress Peter Obi has settled for former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the flag bearers of the People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are yet to name their running mates as race towards the next year’s presidential election intensifies.

Atiku, who emerged as the presidential candidate of the ADC under controversial circumstances in the party’s primaries, is deeply searching for his number two. Although the former Nigerian vice president has been linked to many politicians, he has not made any choice at the moment.

Social media users on Facebook and X platforms claimed that Atiku has chosen to go with Amaechi as his running mate.

Amaechi, also a former minister of transportation, contested in the ADC primary but lost to Atiku.

The social media users posted a photo of the two politicians together and wrote, “BREAKING: Atiku/Amaechi on ADC Presidential Ticket

“The former Governor of Rivers, Rotimi Ameachi has agreed to run with Atiku Abubakar as Vice President on the ADC Presidential Ticket”, the post claimed.

Some people who commented on the post questioned why Amaechi should stoop too low for a position of vice president while others did believe that claim was true.

This prompted FACTWATCH Nigeria to run a check on the claim.

Verification

First, no credible news report by any media organisation or source in Nigeria has confirmed that the claim is true.

We checked on the social media pages of the two politicians but could not find any posts relating to the claim.

After the ADC primary last month, Amaechi refuted claims that he was offered the vice-presidential ticket.

Speaking in an interview with Chude Jideonwo, media personality and broadcaster, Amaechi said he made consultations before releasing a statement rejecting ADC presidential primary results.

He added that he also met with David Mark, national chairman of the ADC, but said nothing about whether the party’s vice-presidential ticket was discussed.

“Before the statement was made, there were consultations. We agreed that we should issue the statement. In fact, the conclusion was between Hayatu-Deen and Me,” he said.

“I went to see the national chairman of ADC. After our discussion, he walked me to the exit door, I shook his hands and I left. We discussed something different from what they wrote about.

“But people said I stormed out after he told me to run for VP. But I am not joking; nobody has ever told me to be vice-president because they know my worth and what will be my reaction.”

Atiku later visited Amaechi but details of the closed-door meeting between the former and the latter were not made public.