Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the Atiku-Amaechi ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi knows that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is not electable and that their joint ticket cannot defeat President Bola Tinubu.
Onanuga made the comment on Friday while reacting to a video of Amaechi in a Trust TV interview, in which the former governor had previously described Atiku as “not electable.”
Key Highlights
- Bayo Onanuga has criticised the Atiku-Amaechi ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
- Onanuga said Rotimi Amaechi previously described Atiku Abubakar as “not electable.”
- Amaechi is now the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate alongside Atiku.
- The ADC officially announced Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate in June 2026.
- The party subsequently confirmed that Atiku and Amaechi’s names had been submitted to INEC for the 2027 election.
- Amaechi had challenged Atiku’s emergence from the ADC presidential primary before later withdrawing his court case after the parties settled their differences.
- Onanuga’s comments have triggered reactions from supporters and critics on social media.
- The comments come amid growing political debate over the 2027 presidential contest.
Onanuga Reacts to Amaechi’s Comment on Atiku
Onanuga posted a clip of Amaechi on Trust TV and used it to question the former governor’s decision to join Atiku’s presidential ticket.
In his post, Onanuga quoted Amaechi as saying: “Atiku is not electable.”
The presidential aide then argued that Amaechi’s decision to become Atiku’s running mate contradicted his earlier position.
Onanuga wrote that Amaechi “knows this as fact” and therefore knows that the joint ticket would not defeat President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The statement represents Onanuga’s political assessment and is not an independently established prediction of the election outcome.
Amaechi Now Atiku’s Running Mate
The Atiku-Amaechi ticket was formally announced by the African Democratic Congress in June 2026.
The ADC said Amaechi was selected as its vice-presidential candidate after consultations involving party leaders, coalition partners, youth and women’s groups and representatives from Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
The party described the pairing as a national ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The ADC later confirmed that it had uploaded the names and particulars of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi to the Independent National Electoral Commission nomination portal.
Amaechi Previously Challenged Atiku’s Emergence
Before becoming Atiku’s running mate, Amaechi had challenged the outcome of the ADC presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate.
According to court records reported by Premium Times, Amaechi filed a suit seeking to challenge Atiku’s emergence and alleged irregularities in the conduct of the primary.
He later withdrew the case after the parties reached an agreement, and the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out the suit in July 2026.
Amaechi subsequently joined Atiku on the ADC presidential ticket.
Political Debate Over the Atiku-Amaechi Ticket
Onanuga’s latest comments have added to an ongoing debate between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition ADC over the strength of the respective political camps ahead of 2027.
ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi has previously expressed confidence in the Atiku-Amaechi ticket, saying the party believes the combination can defeat Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Amaechi has also publicly urged Nigerians to assess candidates based on their records rather than ethnicity or regional considerations. At an August 2026 event, he said voters should judge the ADC based on its performance if elected.
Reactions to Onanuga’s Statement
Onanuga’s post generated a range of reactions on X, with some users questioning why Amaechi would accept the vice-presidential position after previously describing Atiku as “not electable.”
Others used the discussion to raise issues surrounding economic conditions, transportation costs and the political careers of individuals who previously criticised Tinubu but later joined or supported his administration.
The reactions reflect the wider political debate surrounding the 2027 election and the alliances being formed ahead of the poll.
For now, the Atiku-Amaechi ticket remains the ADC’s officially submitted presidential and vice-presidential ticket for the 2027 election, while statements from both the ruling party and opposition continue to shape the political contest. For more updates, follow us on X.
