By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has disclosed details of his meeting with former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Recall that Atiku paid a visit to Amaechi at his Abuja residence on Thursday, May 28, a few hours after emerging as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He said that his discussion with Amaechi centred on the nation’s economic and security challenges as well as the need for national solutions.
The ADC presidential candidate made this known in a post via his X handle, noting that both of them held extensive discussions on the “troubling state” of the country and the responsibility of patriotic Nigerians to contribute to efforts aimed at addressing the nation’s challenges.
“This afternoon, I visited my brother and compatriot, former Governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, at his Abuja residence.
“Beyond the warmth and camaraderie, we had deep and honest conversations about the troubling state of our nation, the growing economic pain, insecurity, and the urgent responsibility on patriotic Nigerians to continue engaging in the search for solutions that can rescue our country from drift and despair,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also disclosed that he congratulated Amaechi on his birthday and teased him about Arsenal’s English Premier League victory during the visit.
He added, “I also felicitated with him on the occasion of his birthday yesterday and teased that Arsenal’s historic triumph could not have arrived at a better time.
“In true Rivers hospitality, he apologised for not having enough time to prepare Fisherman Soup, a delicacy I have now been promised on our return for the second leg.”
Recall that Atiku emerged as ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election as the party announced the result on Wednesday night at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The former vice president defeated Amaechi and former Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, in the contest.
According to the official figures released by the party, Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi secured 504,117 votes, and Hayatu-Deen got 177,120 votes.
The party leadership, led by former Senate President David Mark, subsequently presented the ADC flag to Atiku after his victory was declared.
The former vice president also directly appealed to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to work with him ahead of the 2027 general election.
However, both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen had rejected the outcome of the primary, alleging irregularities in the voting process and boycotted the official announcement of the primary election results.
