Amaechi Rejects ADC Primary, Calls Results Concocted and Rigged

ABUJA — Former Rivers State Governor and ADC presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi has publicly rejected the results of the African Democratic Congress presidential primary election. Amaechi described the outcome as concocted and said it does not reflect the genuine will of party members.

Amaechi made his position known in a strongly worded statement posted on his X account on Tuesday. He alleged that approximately 80 percent of ADC members across the country were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise. He said the process fell short of the standards of fairness and transparency that he had set as conditions for accepting any result.

“I had initially stated that I will only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent, and I stand by my word. I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold,” Amaechi said.

He went further to accuse the ADC of replicating the very electoral malpractices it has publicly criticised in the APC and INEC. He said a party that positions itself as a reformist alternative cannot engage in vote buying, result writing, and the disenfranchisement of members.

The ADC Primary Controversy

The ADC presidential primary took place on Tuesday, May 26. Three major aspirants contested the ticket: Amaechi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. However, the exercise immediately descended into controversy.

Senator Shehu Sani, reacting to Amaechi’s rejection, said the events proved that Peter Obi, who exited the ADC earlier, showed political foresight. He said Obi correctly assessed that the ADC primary would not be conducted credibly and removed himself before becoming entangled in the controversy.

Furthermore, Atiku Abubakar sent Amaechi a birthday message on the same day, praising his service to Nigeria. The gesture is being read by political analysts as Atiku’s attempt to maintain a cordial relationship with Amaechi despite the primary dispute, leaving open the possibility of future political cooperation.

What This Means for the ADC

The rejection of the primary results by two of the three main aspirants, Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, leaves the ADC in a deeply unstable position. Without the acceptance of its primary results by major contestants, the party’s 2027 presidential candidacy lacks credibility.

The ADC national secretariat has not made a formal statement in response to Amaechi’s rejection. Party officials said they are reviewing the complaints and will respond through appropriate channels.

INEC has until May 30 to receive party candidates. If the ADC cannot resolve its primary crisis before that deadline, it risks either submitting a disputed candidate or missing the window entirely. Either outcome would be a serious blow to the party’s 2027 ambitions.