By Nefishetu Yakubu
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has emerged winner of the presidential primary election of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat Rotimi Amaechi, who scored 504,117 votes, while Mohammed Hayatu-Deen secured 177,120 votes.
The results were announced on Wednesday in Abuja after the collation of votes from the nationwide presidential primary election conducted by the party.
Chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike, said 2,527,977 registered members of the party participated in the exercise.
Emenike said the figures announced were results submitted by authentic party chairmen deployed to supervise the election in various states.
The Chief Returning Officer, Sen. Tunde Ogbeha, subsequently declared Atiku winner of the presidential primary election conducted across the federation.
In his acceptance speech, Abubakar congratulated other contestants and commended party members for what he described as a transparent and credible primary election process.
He said the ADC had demonstrated that democracy remained alive despite alleged intimidation and suppression of opposition parties in the country.
According to him, party members were allowed to freely express opinions, pursue ambitions and contest elective positions through transparent and credible democratic processes.
Abubakar described the ADC as a coalition of leaders united by sacrifices and compromises aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
He expressed concern over worsening insecurity, economic hardship, nepotism and political intolerance in the country.
The former vice-president said the primary election was not about winners and losers, but a collective effort to rescue Nigeria from misrule.
He urged party members and supporters to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abubakar also appealed to aggrieved members and fellow contestants, including Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, to work together in rebuilding the country’s democracy.
“There are no winners and losers. Our people look up to us for leadership, and we are ready to lead,” he said.
He pledged to work with party leaders and members to strengthen the ADC and provide leadership capable of rebuilding the country for future generations.
(NAN).
