Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after a commanding victory in the party’s national primary, securing nearly 1.85 million votes in a contest marked by high turnout and immediate controversy.
According to results announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes, far outpacing his closest rival, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who received 504,117 votes. Businessman and politician Mohammed Hayatudeen came a distant third with 177,120 votes. Out of 3,113,599 registered ADC members nationwide, 2,527,977 cast their votes in the direct primary exercise.
The announcement, which followed collation from across states, triggered immediate celebrations among Atiku’s supporters, who hailed the outcome as a strong signal of the party’s readiness to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election. Images from the event showed the former Vice President raising his fist in triumph amid cheering delegates.
However, the victory has been clouded by sharp rejection from the other leading contenders. Both Amaechi and Hayatudeen have dismissed the results as “concocted,” alleging widespread irregularities, disenfranchisement of members, and vote buying. Amaechi reportedly claimed that a significant portion of party members were sidelined during the process, while Hayatudeen boycotted aspects of the collation.
Atiku’s move to the ADC comes after he departed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he had previously secured the presidential ticket. His emergence consolidates his position as one of Nigeria’s most enduring political figures, though critics question the viability of the ADC platform and point to fractures in the broader opposition landscape, especially following Peter Obi’s earlier departure from similar alignment efforts.