Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, after former Minister of Transportation and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, publicly rejected the ongoing collation of results, describing them as "concocted" and accusing the party leadership of orchestrating a process that disenfranchised nearly 80% of its members.
In a statement on his X handle, Amaechi alleged that widespread voter disenfranchisement and manipulation marred the direct primary election conducted across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Monday. "Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress Presidential Primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced," he wrote. He recalled that he had only pledged to accept the outcome of a process that was free, fair, and transparent, and insisted the exercise fell far short of those standards.
Amaechi said it was impossible for a credible result to emerge when an estimated 80% of legitimate party members were deliberately blocked from voting. "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 asked. He contrasted the vision of the ADC as a platform for ordinary Nigerians with the reality of the exercise he had witnessed. "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," he said. He further accused the party of committing the same electoral malpractices – vote buying, result writing and voter disenfranchisement – that it had long condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Hours before Amaechi's intervention, the third aspirant, economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, had announced a boycott of the final declaration ceremony, citing what he called "widespread vote rigging" that he personally observed in several states. "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," Hayatu-Deen posted on his verified X handle.
Despite the protests and boycotts, the collation of results continued under the supervision of ADC National Chairman Senator David Mark and INEC officials. Early figures gave former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a commanding lead in 22 states and the FCT, while Amaechi had managed victories in only two states – Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi – as of late Tuesday night. Atiku recorded massive vote hauls in his home state of Adamawa (177,141 votes) and in Kano (155,595 votes), and also swept key battlegrounds such as Niger (79,206), Kebbi (65,523), Sokoto (63,823) and Zamfara (60,500). Amaechi, however, had a notable win in Bayelsa State, where he polled 44,404 votes against Atiku's 6,570 and Hayatu-Deen's 939.
The ADC leadership has sought to calm the crisis, arguing that no sufficient evidence has emerged to support the allegations. The party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, told Channels Television's Politics Today that collation was still ongoing, and that there was currently no basis to confirm or dismiss claims of rigging. "We currently do not have sufficient evidence to either support or dismiss those claims. Since the results are still being collated, we have not observed any clear pattern that would substantiate such allegations," Abdullahi said. He also urged Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to seek redress through established party structures and electoral mechanisms rather than through public confrontation.
Amaechi, however, has rejected that route, insisting that the scale of the irregularities rendered the process irredeemable. "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 declared. His statement came amidst growing concerns over the ADC's ability to position itself as a credible opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general election.
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