With the African Democratic Congress, ADC, primary elections now over, attention has shifted to who becomes the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku had picked the current Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi as his running mate in 2019 and former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate in the 2023 polls.
A few weeks ago, Atiku emerged as the flag bearer of the ADC after polling the highest number of votes in the party’s primary election.
DAILY POST reports that he is said to be thinking towards the South-East, with names like the Director General of the World Trade Organization, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha being mentioned.
Amid these speculations, the Director of Politics at Arise News, Sumner Sambo had said Okonjo-Iweala distanced herself from such a move, stressing that she was unwilling to abandon her current post as WTO DG for a Nigerian political contest.
Okonjo-Iweala assumed the position of the DG of WTO on March 1, 2021, becoming both the first woman and the first African to lead the world trade organization.
She assumed her second term as director-general in September 2023 and her tenure runs until 2029.
However, Sambo said she had communicated her position directly to Atiku’s camp.
Sambo said: “Okonjo-Iweala is not willing to actually leave a lucrative job as DG of the World Trade Organisation to actually consider that.
“She’s made it known to them, and
