Drama, Rejection as Atiku Wins ADC Presidential Primary in Landslide

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 general election after a fiercely contested nationwide primary that exposed deep cracks within the opposition party while simultaneously positioning him at the centre of Nigeria’s next presidential battle.

The former Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate secured a landslide victory in the ADC direct primary election held across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, defeating former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and former banker, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, by a massive margin.

The result, announced late Wednesday night at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, showed Atiku polling 1,846,370 votes to overwhelm Amaechi, who scored 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen trailed behind with 177,120 votes.

According to the official figures released by the party leadership led by former Senate President David Mark, a total of 2,546,457 votes were cast from a party membership base of 3,113,599 eligible voters.

The declaration immediately triggered wild celebrations among Atiku’s supporters at the venue as party leaders formally presented the ADC flag to him, effectively confirming him as the party’s standard bearer ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

A breakdown of the results revealed the scale of Atiku’s dominance in the contest, as he defeated Amaechi by 1,342,253 votes and Hayatu-Deen by 1,669,250 votes. Amaechi also maintained a comfortable lead over Hayatu-Deen with a margin of 327,003 votes.

The primary election marked the climax of days of intense political negotiations and internal lobbying within the ADC after the party initially explored the possibility of adopting a consensus candidate.

However, the move collapsed after all three aspirants — Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen — reportedly rejected pressure to step down for one another, forcing the party to settle for a direct primary in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The exercise, which commenced on Monday, May 25, 2026, was seen by many political observers as a major test of the ADC’s internal democracy and its readiness to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the next general election.

Speaking shortly after he was declared winner, Atiku called for reconciliation within the party and appealed to aggrieved members to put aside their grievances for the sake of what he described as a bigger national mission.

“I therefore appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us,” he said.

The former Vice President specifically extended an olive branch to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, urging them to join hands with him in what he termed a struggle to rescue Nigeria and defend democracy.

“In particular, I invite Chief Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Muhammad Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” Atiku stated.

He insisted that the outcome of the primary should not create permanent divisions within the ADC, stressing that internal contests must strengthen rather than weaken the opposition party.

“As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers. Our people look up to us for leadership and I am ready to lead,” he added.

Atiku further pledged to work with all party stakeholders and aspirants in building a stronger opposition platform capable of challenging the ruling party in 2027.

“I shall work with you all to continue to build our party. I will campaign with you and if Nigeria’s leaders demand it, govern with you to build a country that works for all of us,” he said.

Despite the celebrations that followed the announcement, the primary was not without controversy as both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the outcome of the exercise even before the official declaration of results.

The two aspirants alleged irregularities and manipulation in the voting process, with Hayatu-Deen openly declaring that he would boycott the final announcement of the result.

Their rejection immediately cast a shadow over the party’s attempt to project unity ahead of the general election, raising concerns over possible defections or post-primary legal battles within the ADC.

Earlier in his acceptance speech, Atiku praised party leaders, delegates and members for what he described as their commitment to democratic values despite mounting pressure on opposition politics in Nigeria.

He claimed that the ADC had demonstrated that democracy could still thrive even as opposition parties allegedly faced intimidation and interference.

“We constructed that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party… democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” he declared.

Atiku also accused unnamed forces of attempting to intimidate opposition figures and destabilise alternative political platforms ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, opposition politicians across the country were facing harassment and pressure aimed at weakening democratic competition.

The former Vice President urged party faithful not to allow the primary election divide the ADC, insisting that the focus must now shift towards preparing for the main election battle.

“No one was defeated. No one. We are one party, and we all need to recognise the fierce urgency of the moment,” he said.

He stressed that the party must now concentrate on building a credible alternative capable of addressing Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges.

“We have to prepare and play hard to win the next general elections in order to begin the difficult process of rescuing our country and its long-suffering people,” Atiku added.

Outlining his vision for the country, Atiku promised that an ADC-led government would prioritise security, education, healthcare and economic reforms.

He pledged to strengthen security agencies and tackle rising insecurity across the country while also addressing the growing number of out-of-school children through free and compulsory basic education.

On the economy, Atiku criticised the current administration’s policies, arguing that poverty and hardship had deepened under existing subsidy and borrowing arrangements.

He also promised to invest heavily in healthcare by strengthening primary healthcare systems and improving medical facilities to discourage medical tourism among public officials and wealthy Nigerians.

According to him, the ADC would unveil what he described as “renewed action” ahead of the general election, insisting that the real political battle had only just begun after the primaries.

With the victory, Atiku now officially becomes the face of the ADC’s 2027 presidential campaign, setting the stage for what is expected to be one of the fiercest and most closely watched elections in Nigeria’s democratic history.