BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
The presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress has plunged into chaos after former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, rejected the outcome of the exercise that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 election.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions within the opposition party, Amaechi described the results announced after Monday’s nationwide primary as “concocted,” alleging widespread irregularities, voter suppression and manipulation across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The development has thrown the ADC into one of the biggest internal crises in its history, raising fresh doubts about the party’s unity and readiness to position itself as a credible alternative ahead of the next general election.
Amaechi, who was one of the leading contenders in the race alongside Atiku and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, made his position known in a strongly worded statement posted on his verified X handle shortly after the collation process began in Abuja.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress Presidential Primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he declared.
The former Rivers governor said he had earlier vowed to accept the outcome only if the process was transparent, free and credible, insisting that the conduct of the primary fell far below democratic standards.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” Amaechi stated.
In one of the most explosive allegations yet, Amaechi claimed that nearly 80 per cent of party members were allegedly denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results. Then what makes us different from the others?” he queried.
The fierce rejection has deepened cracks within the opposition coalition and sparked fears of possible defections, legal battles and factional divisions capable of weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Amaechi further accused the ADC leadership of betraying the very ideals upon which the party was founded, warning that the opposition could lose moral authority if it embraced the same electoral malpractices it often condemns.
“The whole idea of the ADC was to give the Nigerian people a platform, to amplify the voices of the downtrodden, and make Nigeria a better place for everyone irrespective of backgrounds, ethnicity, or religion,” he said.
“A party that criticises the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that lead to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable.”
The crisis took an even more dramatic turn after Hayatu-Deen also distanced himself from the process, boycotting the final collation and declaration ceremony in Abuja over allegations of widespread manipulation.
In a post on his verified X handle, the economist-turned-politician revealed that he would not participate in the announcement of the results because of what he described as disturbing reports of rigging from several parts of the country.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” he wrote.
Although Hayatu-Deen stopped short of naming those allegedly responsible for the irregularities, his withdrawal has added weight to growing claims that the exercise may have been compromised.
The twin rejection by two major aspirants now threatens to overshadow Atiku’s emergence and could trigger a major political storm within the ADC at a critical time when the party is seeking to consolidate opposition forces against the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of 2027.
Political observers say the fallout from the disputed primary could determine whether the ADC survives as a united opposition platform or descends into prolonged internal turmoil capable of derailing its electoral ambitions.
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