Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the winner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary, clinching the party’s ticket for the 2027 general election after defeating former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
The party announced on Wednesday that Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to emerge victorious, while Amaechi scored 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen secured 177,120 votes in the nationwide exercise.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku commended the ADC for conducting what he described as a transparent and democratic primary, saying the process showed that internal democracy remained active within the opposition platform.
“We demonstrated that while democracy is being stifled by the ruling party and its operators, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” Atiku said.
On the part of the National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, he said the party provided a level playing ground for all aspirants, stressing that although the exercise was not perfect, members were given the opportunity to freely choose their candidate.
The presidential primary, held across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards using the Option A4 voting system, however, generated controversy, with Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejecting the outcome over alleged irregularities.
Amaechi accused the party of widespread voter disenfranchisement and dismissed the announced results, while Hayatu-Deen cited reports of vote manipulation and said he would consult on his next move.
The outcome positions Atiku as the ADC’s standard-bearer for the 2027 race as the party seeks to strengthen its challenge against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
