Former Governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the presidential primaries conducted by the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amaechi, who contested alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, described the results announced after the nationwide exercise as “concocted,” insisting the process lacked credibility and fairness.
In a statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday, the former minister accused the party leadership of overseeing a flawed process that allegedly prevented a large number of party members from participating in the vote.
“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,” Amaechi stated.
He maintained that he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the outcome of the primary election if it was conducted transparently and in line with 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 alleged that the same practices often criticised in other political parties had now surfaced within the ADC, despite the party’s repeated promises to offer Nigerians a credible alternative platform.
According to him, the exercise failed to reflect the ideals of inclusion, fairness, and internal democracy that the party claimed to represent.
“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.
The former Rivers governor claimed that nearly 80 per cent of party members across parts of the country were allegedly denied the opportunity to vote during the direct primary exercise.
“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.
Amaechi also accused the party of engaging in the same electoral practices it had previously condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress 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.
The ADC presidential primary was conducted nationwide on Monday as part of preparations for the 2027 presidential election. Although the party’s national leadership has yet to formally announce the final collated results, figures released from several states showed Atiku maintaining a strong lead, with Amaechi trailing behind and Hayatu-Deen placing third in most announced results.
The dispute has now intensified internal tensions within the opposition party at a time when major political alignments are already taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
What You Should Know
The ADC presidential primary has quickly become one of the earliest major political controversies ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Rotimi Amaechi’s rejection of the process signals possible internal division within the opposition coalition trying to challenge the APC.
With Atiku Abubakar leading results in several states and Amaechi alleging widespread disenfranchisement, the fallout could affect unity within the party before the general election campaign officially begins.
Political observers believe the dispute may lead to legal challenges, negotiations, or further cracks within the ADC coalition, especially as opposition parties attempt to build a stronger front against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC.
