Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election after defeating former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in the party’s nationwide direct primary election.
Announcing the result at the collation centre in Abuja, returning officer Tunde Ogbeha said Atiku secured 1,855,787 votes to defeat Amaechi, who polled 509,397 votes, while Hayatu-Deen garnered 180,903 votes out of the 2,546,457 total votes cast.
The primary election was conducted across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards using the Option A4 voting system, where party members queued openly behind their preferred aspirants.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku praised the ADC for what he described as a demonstration of internal democracy despite challenges facing opposition politics in the country.
“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its operatives, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
National Chairman of the party, David Mark, said the ADC allowed a free and competitive contest, adding that although the exercise was not perfect, it reflected the democratic choice of party members.
However, the outcome immediately triggered controversy within the party as both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the results, alleging widespread irregularities and voter disenfranchisement.
Amaechi accused the party of conducting a flawed process that contradicted the values it claimed to represent.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he said in a statement posted on X.
He alleged that many party members were prevented from voting and argued that the ADC risked becoming no different from the political parties it had criticised in the past.
Hayatu-Deen also distanced himself from the process, saying he would not attend the announcement of the results because of alleged vote rigging and other irregularities observed during the exercise.
Despite the complaints, ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi defended the exercise, insisting the process was transparent and credible.
The primary marks a major milestone for the ADC as it prepares to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, who has contested for the presidency multiple times, is expected to rely on his national political structure and northern political influence as the ADC positions itself as a leading opposition platform ahead of the polls.
The party’s internal dynamics, however, may face fresh strain following the rejection of the primary results by two of its major aspirants.
