ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress presidential primary, alleging widespread irregularities, voter disenfranchisement, and manipulation of results during the exercise.
Amaechi described the results emerging from the nationwide primary as “concocted,” insisting that the process failed to meet the standards of fairness and transparency promised by the party.
The former Rivers State governor made his position known in a statement posted on his X handle shortly after the primary election on Tuesday.
“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 stated.
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Amaechi said he had made it clear from the onset that he would only accept the outcome of the exercise if it was conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner.
“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.
The former minister accused the ADC leadership of betraying the principles upon which the party sought to distinguish itself from other political parties.
According to him, the party was created to offer Nigerians a credible alternative platform built on fairness, inclusion, and accountability.
“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,” Amaechi said.
He further alleged that a large percentage of party members were 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 maintained that the ADC was established to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and create a political space where citizens, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or social status, could participate freely.
“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.
The former Rivers governor also accused the party of engaging in the same practices it had repeatedly criticised 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 stated.
The ADC conducted its nationwide direct presidential primary on Monday to choose its candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Amaechi, and former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, emerged as the leading contenders in the race.
Although the party leadership is yet to officially announce final collated results from across the country, figures released from several states showed Atiku maintaining an early lead, with Amaechi trailing behind while Hayatu-Deen occupied third position.