Amaechi Rejects ADC Presidential Primary Results, Alleges Massive Irregularities

Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has rejected the outcome of the presidential primary election conducted by the African Democratic Congress, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice during the exercise.

Amaechi, who is also a former governor of Rivers State, made his position known in a statement posted on his X handle shortly after the conclusion of the primaries on Tuesday.

The former presidential aspirant described the results announced by the party as “concocted” and insisted that he could not accept a process he believed failed to meet basic standards of fairness and transparency.

“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi stated.

He said he had earlier informed party leaders and supporters that he would only accept the outcome of the election if the process was credible 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 added.

Amaechi accused the ADC leadership of abandoning the principles upon which the party sought to present itself as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the party was expected to offer Nigerians a platform rooted in justice, fairness and inclusion rather than repeating practices it had previously criticised in other political parties.

“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.

The former minister argued that the ADC was created to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and rescue the country from what he described as impunity and poor governance.

He further alleged that the same electoral malpractices often blamed on the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission had now surfaced within the ADC itself.

“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,” he stated.

The controversy surrounding the ADC presidential primary comes at a sensitive time for opposition politics in Nigeria, with several parties experiencing internal crises, defections and leadership disputes ahead of the 2027 elections.

The ADC primary had featured three major contenders — Amaechi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

Political observers say Amaechi’s rejection of the results could deepen tensions within the opposition coalition and possibly trigger legal disputes or fresh negotiations within the party.

Analysts also warn that continued internal conflicts among opposition groups may weaken attempts to build a united front against President Bola Tinubu and the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

As of the time of filing this report, the ADC leadership had yet to officially respond to Amaechi’s allegations.