Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the (ADC) for the 2027 general election after securing a landslide victory in the party’s nationwide direct primary.
The party announced that Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes, defeating former Rivers State governor , who scored 504,117 votes, while businessman received 177,120 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku praised the conduct of the primary, saying it showed democracy was still thriving within the party despite what he described as pressure on opposition politics in Nigeria.
“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its operatives, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
The ADC National Chairman, , described the exercise as transparent and competitive, adding that members were allowed to make their choices freely.
“Though the exercise was not perfect, there is room for improvement,” Mark said, noting that all the aspirants were qualified to lead the party.
The contest intensified as party members voted across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards using the Option A4 open-ballot system, with voters queueing behind their preferred candidates.
However, the outcome was immediately disputed by Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, both of whom alleged widespread irregularities during the process.
Amaechi rejected the results, accusing the party of disenfranchising voters in several parts of the country.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries. I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he wrote on X.
Hayatu-Deen also distanced himself from the result declaration, alleging vote manipulation and saying he was consulting on possible next steps.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed,” he said in a statement.
Atiku and Amaechi joined the ADC last year alongside several opposition figures as part of efforts to build a stronger coalition ahead of the 2027 election and challenge President and the ruling (APC).
Former Anambra State governor later left the coalition and aligned with the (NDC) alongside former Kano State governor .
The ADC primary result marks a significant moment for the opposition party as it seeks to position itself as the main challenger to the APC in the 2027 presidential race.
Atiku, who has contested for Nigeria’s presidency multiple times, is expected to rely on his nationwide political structure and influence in northern Nigeria as the campaign season gathers momentum.
