Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries.
The former minister of transportation also alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice during the exercise.
Amaechi, in a statement issued on his X handle after the primaries on Tuesday, described the results announced by the ADC as “concocted” and insisted he would not accept an outcome that failed to reflect fairness and transparency.
“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,” he said.
He stated that he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent.
“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 said.
Amaechi fingered the party leadership for betraying the ideals the ADC claimed to represent in its quest to provide an alternative platform for Nigerians.
“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 added.
According to him, a large percentage of party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent 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 stated that the ADC was created to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and provide a platform built on fairness and inclusion.
“The whole idea of the ADC was to give the Nigerian people a platform, to amplify the voices of the downtrodden, and make Nigeria a better place for everyone irrespective of backgrounds, ethnicity, or religion,” he said.
He also further accused the party of engaging in the same electoral malpractices it had previously condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“A party that criticizes 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 stated.
The ADC held a statewide direct primary to select its candidate for the 2027 presidential election on Monday, with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and Amaechi were the key competitors.
Although the party’s national leadership has yet to formally announce the final collated results from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory at the time of filing this report, data from some states show Atiku maintaining a commanding lead in the early rounds of counting, with Amaechi trailing in second place and Hayatu-Deen in third.
