By Felix Olukayode
The African Democratic Congress has its presidential candidate for 2027. Atiku Abubakar was declared the winner of the ADC presidential primary, polling 1,846,370 votes against Rotimi Amaechi’s 504,117 and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen’s 177,120. The numbers tell one story. The politics unfolding in their aftermath tells quite another.
Amaechi did not wait for the official results before firing his salvo. In a post on his X handle, he said: “Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the ADC presidential primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced.” He went further, pointing out the contradiction at the heart of the party’s conduct. “A party that criticises the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging, and writing of results cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that lead to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members,” he said. He also alleged that the scale of exclusion was staggering, asking: “There’s no way that about eighty per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results.”
Atiku moved swiftly to contain the fallout. Even before visiting Amaechi, he had publicly signalled his intention, saying: “I will personally visit Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen and appeal to them to support me.” True to his word, he visited Amaechi at his Abuja residence the very next day, accompanied by former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, and other party leaders. In his acceptance speech, Atiku had set the tone for reconciliation. “In particular, I invite Chief Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Muhammad Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” he declared, adding: “As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers. Our people look up to us for leadership, and I am ready to lead.”
He went even further, extending an offer of genuine partnership. “I shall work with you all to continue to build our party. I will campaign with you and, if Nigeria’s leaders demand it, govern with you to build a country that works for all of us,” Atiku pledged. It was language calibrated not just to soothe Amaechi, but to signal to the wider opposition that the ADC’s tent is broad enough for all.
Amaechi is no small figure to placate. A former Rivers State governor and minister of transportation with a formidable political network in the South-South, his support is not optional for any candidate serious about a pan-Nigerian campaign. Any ADC ticket that goes into 2027 without him fully engaged is fighting the APC with one hand tied behind its back. Atiku, Amaechi, and other opposition heavyweights had jointly joined the ADC in July 2025 as part of a sweeping opposition realignment aimed at unseating President Tinubu and the APC in 2027. The shared mission has not changed; what is now at stake is whether personal grievance will override collective purpose — a fault line that has undone Nigerian opposition coalitions before.
The political implications of Amaechi’s next step are significant. If he accepts Atiku’s hand and campaigns vigorously, the ADC gains a credible southern anchor and projects the image of a mature opposition capable of managing internal differences — exactly the kind of message that can swing undecided voters. If he stays aggrieved or exits, the party risks looking like every failed coalition before it. At their Abuja meeting, both men discussed the state of the nation and the urgent need to address Nigeria’s growing challenges, suggesting the conversation has already moved beyond the primary.
In the end, Nigeria’s mounting economic hardship and democratic pressures demand that opposition leaders rise above the usual post-primary sulking. Amaechi, who once declared “I am not stepping down for anyone. Let the people decide who they want to lead,” showed he was prepared to fight for his convictions. The same conviction must now be channelled into fighting for the country. Atiku has made his move. The next one belongs to Amaechi.