Former Rivers governor says majority of party members were denied the chance to vote as cracks deepen within ADC presidential race…..
Fresh controversy has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primary, alleging widespread irregularities and voter suppression during the exercise.
Amaechi, who contested alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, described the process as compromised and far below the democratic standards the party had promised Nigerians.
In a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, the former Rivers State governor said he could not accept what he called “concocted results” emerging from a flawed process.
According to him, reports from across the country indicated that a significant number of party members were unable to participate in the primary election.
“I made it clear from the beginning that I would only accept the outcome of a process that is free, fair, and transparent,” Amaechi stated. “I cannot support results produced from an exercise that failed to reflect those principles.”
The former minister accused the party leadership of betraying the ideals upon which the ADC positioned itself as an alternative political platform ahead of the next general election.
“There is no justification for a situation where the majority of party members are allegedly denied the opportunity to vote,” he said. “If we engage in the same practices we criticize in other parties, then what exactly makes us different?”
Amaechi further alleged that the irregularities witnessed during the primary mirrored the same electoral misconduct the ADC had previously condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including vote buying and result manipulation.
His rejection of the process came shortly after fellow aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen also distanced himself from the exercise.
Hayatu-Deen, in a separate statement posted on X, announced that he would not participate in the official declaration of results, citing concerns over alleged vote rigging and irregularities reported from several states.
“I am deeply concerned by reports of widespread manipulation during the election process, some of which I personally observed,” he said while noting that he would consult with his team on the next line of action.
The growing disagreement among top contenders has cast a shadow over the ADC primary, which party officials had earlier described as a defining moment for internal democracy.
Ahead of the exercise, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, had assured members and Nigerians that the ADC would conduct a transparent and credible primary capable of setting a new standard in the country’s political space.
He said the conduct of aspirants, delegates, and party officials during the process would reflect the kind of leadership culture the ADC hoped to build.
However, the latest accusations from two leading aspirants now threaten to overshadow the exercise and raise fresh concerns about unity within the party as the presidential race intensifies.
Meanwhile, collation of results from the nationwide primary was ongoing in Abuja at the time of filing this report.
