Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and one of three aspirants seeking the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), announced his withdrawal from the party’s primary process on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, citing “widespread vote rigging” and what he described as “ugly and disturbing malpractices.” In a statement posted on his official X handle, Hayatu-Deen declared, “I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
His withdrawal came on the same day that the party was scheduled to declare the final results of its nationwide direct primary. The ADC had conducted the vote across the country’s 8,809 wards on Monday, 25 May 2026, using a direct voting system in which party members queued openly behind their preferred aspirants. Early results from several states showed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar securing commanding leads in Sokoto, Yobe, Gombe, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia states, while former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi won in Bayelsa. Hayatu-Deen, a former banker, had trailed in most of the early results.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote in his ward in Borno State on Monday, Hayatu-Deen had already raised alarms about the integrity of the process. He alleged that he had received phone calls from persons asking him to step down for another candidate, and that in some locations, electoral officials had abandoned transparent collation procedures. “In Zaria, where I have a lot of supporters, the election had not yet taken place as of 5 p.m. People were denied their rights. This act is criminal and fraudulent,” he said. He also claimed that in some parts of Kaduna State, voters had been told that a “consensus” had been reached and that he had already stepped down. Hayatu-Deen further alleged that in Southern Borno, electoral officers had walked away from polling stations to fill in result sheets in the absence of voters.
The ADC had previously maintained that its primary process was transparent and democratically conducted. However, Hayatu-Deen’s decision to boycott the results announcement and withdraw from the race is expected to heighten tensions within the opposition party, which is positioning itself as a key platform against the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 elections. As of Tuesday evening, the ADC national leadership had not issued an official response to his allegations, but arrangements for the declaration of results in Abuja were completed, with the venue fully set for the exercise. Atiku Abubakar was reported to be leading the race as collation continued.
The withdrawal marks a significant fracture in the ADC’s presidential primary process. Hayatu-Deen, who joined the ADC in 2025 after previously contesting under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had consistently insisted that he would only accept a process that he considered credible and transparent. His exit leaves Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi as the two remaining major contenders for the party’s ticket. It remains unclear whether Hayatu-Deen will challenge the outcome in court or explore other political options. He has vowed to fight what he called “this criminality to the end.”
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