Atiku Abubakar Declares Victory in ADC Presidential Primary
Former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar has been announced as the winner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary election held across Nigeria. He defeated former Minister of Transportation and ex‑Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes.
The result followed the collation of votes from the nationwide primary conducted by the party. Speaking after the declaration, Atiku expressed deep gratitude for the privilege of leading the ADC into the next general election as its presidential candidate.
A Call for Democratic Resilience
He said, “We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its oppressive, anti‑democratic government, democracy remains alive and well in the African Democratic Congress. In our party, members are free to express their views, harbour ambitions, and contest elective positions through a free, fair and transparent process.”
Atiku warned that the APC government, INEC and certain judicial elements are engineering leadership crises in opposition parties, harassing and intimidating figures such as Mallam Nasir El‑Rufai, who has been detained for three months despite court‑ordered bail. He described the denial of religious holidays and family time as cruelty that must stop.
Allegations of Coercion and Abuse of Power
The former vice‑president accused the government of using security agencies and anti‑corruption bodies to coerce opposition politicians into joining the APC, claiming that once a person defects, harassment ceases and charges mysteriously disappear. He labelled this an abuse of power that must end.
Atiku also cautioned that any further attempt by the Presidency, INEC or the judiciary to interfere in the ADC’s affairs—including efforts to deregister the party—will be met with fierce resistance.
Unity and the Road Ahead
He congratulated his fellow contestants, noting their shared patriotism and commitment to a better Nigeria. Atiku stressed that this is not a time for celebration but for unity, urging all party members to work together to rescue the country from what he described as a corrupt, incompetent and polarising APC administration.
He thanked the primary elections committee, party leadership, volunteers, supporters and all stakeholders for organising a peaceful, free, fair and transparent process. “With the primaries behind us, the real hard work is about to begin. We must prepare to campaign hard to win the next general elections and begin the difficult task of rescuing our nation and its long‑suffering people from this government,” he concluded.
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