Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primaries, describing the results as “concocted” and lacking democratic credibility.
Amaechi made his position known in a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, May 26, following the conclusion of the ADC presidential primaries held nationwide.
The party conducted a direct primary election on Monday, May 25, to select its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Major contenders included former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and Amaechi.
In his statement, Amaechi alleged that the exercise was riddled with irregularities and widespread voter disenfranchisement, claiming that a significant number of party members were prevented from participating.
“I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor said he had earlier committed to accepting the outcome of the primaries only if the process was transparent, free, and fair, insisting that the election failed to meet those standards.
“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,” he said.
Amaechi further argued that the conduct of the primaries contradicted the democratic ideals the ADC claims to uphold as an opposition party offering Nigerians an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“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,” he added.
He also accused the party leadership of engaging in the same electoral practices it had often condemned in the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results cannot itself engage in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that disenfranchise party members,” Amaechi said.
