Fresh controversy erupted around the presidential primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday, as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar awaited official confirmation as the party’s flag bearer after reportedly defeating former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and economist Mohammed Hayattu-Deen in votes recorded across several states.
The exercise was immediately overshadowed by allegations of irregularities, with Amaechi and Hayattu-Deen rejecting the process. Hayattu-Deen boycotted the announcement of results, alleging widespread vote manipulation, while Amaechi accused the party leadership of disenfranchising members and “writing results.”
The disputes were most visible in Ebonyi State, where parallel primaries were conducted by rival factions of the party. One faction declared Atiku winner with 15,300 votes against Amaechi’s 2,200, while another faction loyal to the state leadership announced Amaechi as victor with 6,050 votes, ahead of Atiku’s 1,210 votes.
In a statement, Hayattu-Deen said reports from across the country raised serious concerns about the credibility of the exercise. “I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today,” he said, adding that he would seek legal advice on the next steps.
Amaechi also rejected the outcome, insisting that the process failed to meet democratic standards. According to him, nearly 80 per cent of party members were allegedly prevented from voting. He argued that a party criticizing electoral malpractice by others could not engage in similar conduct.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election. Justice Peter Lifu dismissed a suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility and held that earlier court decisions had already settled the issue.
The court also ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the case and awarded N20 million in costs against him in favour of Jonathan, alongside an additional N1 million payable to the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Jonathan, who has been adopted as the sole presidential aspirant of the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has yet to formally declare his intention to run. However, the judgment is expected to intensify political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Elsewhere, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore emerged as the consensus presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC). Accepting the nomination, Sowore described the AAC as Nigeria’s only genuine opposition party and ruled out any coalition with established political parties.
Similarly, former Cross River State governor Donald Duke secured the presidential ticket of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), defeating rivals Kingsley Yakubu and Dr Nnaoke Ufere. However, Ufere’s campaign later rejected the results, alleging vote inflation and manipulation.
In the PDP, the faction backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike adopted Senator Sandy Onor as its consensus presidential candidate. Onor declared that the PDP had regained stability and positioned itself as the strongest opposition force capable of challenging the ruling APC in 2027.
With President Bola Tinubu expected to seek re-election under the APC, and former Anambra governor Peter Obi positioned as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the 2027 presidential race is already shaping into a major contest among Nigeria’s leading political heavyweights.
