Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged winner of the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), securing the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party announced that Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who scored 504,117 votes, while businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku commended the ADC for what he described as a demonstration that democracy remains alive within the party, despite wider concerns about the political environment in the country.
He also expressed concern over challenges faced by opposition parties and leaders nationwide.
“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.
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The National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, said the party ensured a free contest that allowed members to freely choose their preferred candidate.
He noted that although the exercise was not perfect, it reflected democratic participation and provided room for improvement.
Mark added that all the aspirants were qualified, but only one could emerge as the party’s flagbearer.
The presidential primary, which intensified on Monday, saw Atiku, Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen compete in a nationwide direct primary conducted across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards using the Option A4 voting system.
While Atiku praised the process, both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the outcome, alleging irregularities.
Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation, described the process as flawed, citing alleged voter disenfranchisement, and rejected the results announced by the party.
Similarly, Hayatu-Deen said he would not attend the announcement of the results, alleging widespread irregularities and stating that he would seek further advice on his next steps.
Atiku and Amaechi both joined the ADC in July 2025 as part of a wider opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 elections. However, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi reportedly moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) alongside former Kano State governor Musa Kwankwaso.
With the conclusion of the primary, Atiku Abubakar is now set to lead the ADC into the 2027 presidential election as the party seeks to position itself as a major opposition force against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).