Isaac Samuel
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election after defeating former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in the party’s primary election.
The chairman of the electoral committee and returning officer, Tunde Ogbeha, announced the result in Abuja after the final collation of votes from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Ogbeha said Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen garnered 177,120 votes.
The direct primary election was conducted nationwide on Monday, while collation of results continued through Tuesday and ended on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Despite the outcome, Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the process, alleging widespread irregularities and manipulation.
Amaechi described the exercise as “concocted,” alleging massive voter disenfranchisement, while Hayatu-Deen accused party officials of compromising the credibility of the primary through alleged rigging
However, the ADC proceeded with the final collation and formally returned Atiku as its presidential flag bearer for the 2027 election.
The victory marks another presidential bid for Atiku, who previously contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.
Atiku recorded dominant victories across several northern states, including Adamawa, Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
In Adamawa, his home state, he polled 177,141 votes, ahead of Amaechi’s 1,896 votes and Hayatu-Deen’s 18,949 votes. He also secured 155,595 votes in Kano, 136,933 in Gombe, 115,410 in Bauchi and 108,784 in Kaduna.
Amaechi, however, performed strongly in parts of the South-South, winning Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi states.
In Rivers State, the former governor polled 115,650 votes against Atiku’s 912 votes. He also defeated Atiku in Bayelsa with 21,404 votes to 1,470 and in Delta with 35,325 votes to 10,023.
Hayatu-Deen did not win any state but recorded notable votes in Borno, Benue, Adamawa, Katsina and Niger states.
