Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election.
The party announced on Wednesday that Atiku secured 1,846,370 votes in the nationwide primary, defeating former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Amaechi scored 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen got 177,120 votes in the exercise held across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards using the Option A4 voting system.
Atiku, in his acceptance speech, praised the party for what he described as a transparent process.
“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,” he said.
He then called for unity among party members after the contest.
“I hereby accept the nomination,” Atiku said.
Party Leadership Reacts
ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, said the party gave every aspirant a fair chance to seek the ticket.
He said the process was not perfect, but members were free to choose their candidate.
Mark also handed the party flag to Atiku in Abuja on Wednesday evening, in the presence of party leaders and supporters.
“I will like to handover our flag to our flagbrear, and the man who will take us to the villa,” Mark said.
“The journey ahead might not be easy, but with Nigerians on our side, we will win. Nigerians are watching to see if we can put them first. Let tonight mark a rebirth of political trust. Let’s embrace spirit of sportsmanship,” he added.
Backlash From Rivals
But the outcome quickly drew protests from Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, who rejected the result and alleged irregularities in the process.
Amaechi said widespread disenfranchisement made the primary unacceptable, while Hayatu-Deen said he would consider his next steps after reports of vote manipulation.
Their allies also accused the party of vote buying, result writing and the exclusion of many members from voting.
The controversy now puts pressure on the ADC as it tries to present itself as a credible opposition force ahead of 2027.
The primary was meant to show party strength, but it has instead exposed internal tension.
Atiku’s victory gives the ADC a prominent presidential standard-bearer, but the complaints from rivals could shape the party’s unity and campaign strength in the months ahead.
The party has said the results from the primary were to be collated centrally and announced by the national leadership.
That process has now delivered Atiku the ticket, even as the dispute over how he emerged is likely to continue.
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