2027: Atiku defeats Amaechi, wins ADC presidential ticket

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the party’s nationwide primary election ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku secured a total of 1,846,370 votes to defeat former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes in the contest.

In his acceptance speech after the declaration, Atiku described his victory as a “singular honour” and pledged to lead the party into the next election with a commitment to restoring democracy and rebuilding the country.

The former vice president said the ADC primary showed that internal democracy was still alive despite what he called growing political intimidation by the ruling government.

According to him, members of the party were allowed to freely contest and express their ambitions through what he described as a transparent and fair process.

Atiku stated that the coalition behind the ADC was built through sacrifices and compromises aimed at rescuing Nigeria’s democracy from what he termed its “greatest threat” since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

The ADC candidate accused the ruling government of allegedly engineering crises within opposition parties through the involvement of the electoral commission and elements within the judiciary.

He also condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, claiming the opposition figure had remained in custody for months despite court orders granting him bail.

Atiku alleged that opposition politicians were being pressured to defect to the ruling party through harassment and intimidation by anti-corruption and security agencies.

“Once a person joins the APC, the harassment ceases and the charges against them magically disappear. This abuse of power must stop,” he said.

The former presidential candidate further warned against any attempt to interfere in the affairs of the ADC, insisting that the party would resist actions aimed at weakening the coalition.

He congratulated other contestants who participated in the primary election and urged party members to unite ahead of the general election.

According to him, the party must focus on addressing worsening insecurity, economic hardship, political intolerance and what he described as attempts to create a one-party state.

Atiku stressed that the primary was not a time for celebration but a call for unity and preparation for what he called the “real hard work” of campaigning for power.

He also commended the party’s primary election committee, stakeholders and volunteers for conducting what he described as a peaceful and transparent exercise.