Photo: Rotimi Amaechi
By: Daniel Kanu
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary election held on Monday, describing the exercise as fraudulent and lacking credibility.
Amaechi, in a statement issued on Tuesday, alleged that the party’s presidential primary was marred by widespread voter disenfranchisement, vote manipulation and irregularities, insisting that the results being circulated were “concocted.”
The ADC primary is expected to determine the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Although the party leadership has yet to officially announce the final collated results from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, early figures emerging from several states indicate that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is maintaining a strong lead, with Amaechi trailing behind, while former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen is occupying third position.
Rejecting the process, Amaechi said he could not accept results produced through what he described as an unfair and compromised exercise.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor recalled that he had made it clear before the election that he would only accept the outcome if the process met democratic standards.
“I had initially stated that I would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent, and I stand by my word,” he added.
Amaechi further accused the ADC leadership of abandoning the principles upon which the party sought to present itself as an alternative political platform capable of rescuing Nigerians from poor governance and alleged impunity under the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“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,” he said.
Questioning the credibility of the exercise, Amaechi alleged that a significant number of party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the primary.
“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.
He maintained that the ADC was established to provide ordinary Nigerians with a credible political alternative built on fairness, inclusiveness and national unity.
“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,” Amaechi stated.
The former minister also accused the party of engaging in the same electoral practices it had consistently criticised in both the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“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,” he said.
Amaechi’s rejection of the primary outcome adds to growing tensions within the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections, as concerns continue to mount over internal democracy and the credibility of the party’s electoral process.
Political observers say the development could trigger further disputes within the opposition party if the leadership fails to properly address the allegations raised by aggrieved aspirants.
