A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries.
The former Rivers State Governor 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 party 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.
The former Rivers State governor 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 accused the party leadership of 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 allegedly denied the opportunity to vote during the 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 said 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.
The former minister 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 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 a nationwide direct primary on Monday to pick its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and Amaechi as the main contenders.
Although the party’s national leadership is yet to formally announce the final collated results from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, figures obtained from some states showed Atiku maintaining a commanding lead in the early rounds of counting, with Amaechi trailing in second place, while Hayatu-Deen occupying third position.