Atiku Visits Amaechi After ADC Presidential Primary, Seeks Reconciliation

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar visited former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi at his Abuja residence on Thursday afternoon, in what he described as a bid to heal rifts within the ADC coalition after a bitter presidential primary.

Atiku disclosed details of the meeting on X, saying they held “deep and honest conversations” about the country’s challenges, including the economic hardship and insecurity facing Nigerians.

“Deep and Honest Conversations”

“I visited my brother Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja today. We had deep and honest conversations about the state of our nation, the economic pain our people are going through, and the urgent need for patriotic Nigerians to work together,” Atiku wrote.

The visit came hours after Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen rejected the outcome of the ADC presidential primary, which Atiku won with 1,846,370 votes against Amaechi’s 504,117. Amaechi alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement, claiming about 80 per cent of party members were not allowed to vote.

Atiku also celebrated Amaechi’s birthday during the visit and made light-hearted remarks about Arsenal’s success, a gesture seen as an attempt to ease tensions with his former rival.

Reconciliation Push

The meeting signals Atiku’s intent to hold the ADC coalition together after a contentious primary that exposed deep divisions. Amaechi won Rivers State with 115,650 votes against Atiku’s 912 (Post 2771) but lost the national tally by a wide margin.

ADC Chairman Senator David Mark had earlier appealed to the aspirants to unite, saying “there are no winners and no losers.” Atiku’s visit to Amaechi appears to be a direct follow-up to that call, as the former vice president works to prevent a fracture in the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.

Sources: Punch, The Nation, Daily Post