Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has officially declared former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, crowning a nationwide direct primary that saw him secure just over 1.85 million votes. The announcement was made at the party’s collation centre in Abuja on Wednesday night, 27 May 2026, after a two‑day suspension of the exercise that was originally called to allow Muslim members to observe Eid‑el‑Kabir. The final results gave Atiku a commanding lead over his two rivals, but the celebrations were immediately overshadowed by the rejection of the process by both of his challengers.
The Returning Officer, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, announced that Atiku polled a total of 1,855,787 votes across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Former Rivers State Governor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, came a distant second with 509,397 votes, while economist Mohammed Hayatu‑Deen finished third with 180,903 votes. The total number of valid votes cast was placed at 2,546,457. The result represented a landslide victory for Atiku, who won in all but three states. Hayatu‑Deen managed to win only Kwara State, while Amaechi secured victories only in Bayelsa and Rivers states. Atiku swept the remaining 33 states and the FCT, often by enormous margins. In Gombe State, for example, he obtained 136,933 votes against Amaechi’s 1,140 and Hayatu‑Deen’s 455; in Yobe State he took 44,841 votes, with Amaechi securing only 300; in his home state of Adamawa, he won 177,141 votes; in Kano he polled 155,595; and in Kebbi he scored 65,523 votes.
The ADC primary was conducted under a direct voting system, with party members lining up behind their preferred aspirants in 8,809 wards across the country. The exercise was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The collation process began on Monday, 25 May, but was suspended on Tuesday night after results from only 24 states had been announced. The party’s Presidential Primary Election Committee chairman, Chief Ikechi Emenike, explained at the time that the suspension was necessary to allow Muslim members to fully participate in Eid‑el‑Kabir celebrations and to accommodate returning officers who had been delayed by flight disruptions.
However, the suspension failed to calm growing discontent within the party. Even before the final results were announced, both Amaechi and Hayatu‑Deen had publicly disowned the process. In a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday, Hayatu‑Deen announced that he would boycott the final announcement, citing what he called “widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed.” He said he would seek legal advice on his next steps. Amaechi was even more emphatic, describing the results as “concocted” and alleging that up to 80 percent of legitimate party members had been deliberately prevented from voting. He accused the ADC of adopting the same malpractices — vote buying, result writing and voter disenfranchisement — that it had long condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress and INEC.
The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, responded cautiously, stating that the party had not yet seen sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Abdullahi said that while the party remained open to examining any complaints, the results collated so far did not reveal any obvious pattern of manipulation. He urged aggrieved aspirants to use the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms rather than resorting to public confrontation.
Despite the controversy, Atiku accepted the nomination in a brief speech, thanking delegates and party officials for their support. He framed the primary as an important step toward building a coalition capable of challenging the ruling APC in the 2027 presidential election. “This is not just a victory for me,” he said. “It is a victory for all Nigerians who believe that this country can be governed with competence, fairness and transparency.” He also appealed to his opponents to join forces with him, saying that the ADC must remain united if it is to offer a credible alternative to the Tinubu administration.
The ADC primary was the most competitive in the party’s history, attracting three high‑profile politicians who had previously been members of the PDP and the APC. The party had positioned itself as a potential vehicle for a grand opposition coalition, but the deep divisions exposed during the primary have cast doubt on its ability to present a unified front in 2027. Both Amaechi and Hayatu‑Deen have not ruled out defecting to other platforms or challenging the outcome in court. For now, Atiku holds the ticket, but the fracture lines within the ADC remain wide and unresolved.
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