Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the next general election after winning the party’s nationwide primary.
The results were announced late Wednesday, May 27, at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja following the completion of vote collation.
Declaring the outcome, returning officer Tunde Ogbeha said Atiku secured a commanding victory with 1,846,370 votes.
Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi finished second with 504,117 votes, while former banker Mohammed Hayatudeen polled 177,120 votes.
The declaration followed days of disagreement within the party, as Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen had publicly rejected the process before the final announcement.
Reacting on Monday, May 25, Amaechi criticised the primary, arguing that the exercise failed to meet democratic standards and excluded many party members from participating.
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“This is not democracy,” Amaechi declared, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and accusing organisers of manipulating the outcome of the primaries.
He maintained that an election in which many members could not vote should not be considered credible, warning that such shortcomings risk damaging the ADC’s image as an opposition platform.
According to Amaechi, the party was created to provide Nigerians with a genuine alternative to the ruling establishment, but the conduct of the primary had raised concerns about transparency and fairness.
Hayatu-Deen also rejected the exercise, alleging coordinated irregularities and interference during voting.
He said he would not take part in the formal declaration of results, insisting the process did not reflect the decision of authentic party members.
The former bank executive further alleged that reports from different states pointed to vote interference, disenfranchisement and procedural breaches, arguing that the irregularities cast doubt on the legitimacy of the entire exercise.