By Wellington Jopelo
Fresh tension has erupted within the African Democratic Congress after former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primary won by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Amaechi described the results announced from the nationwide exercise as unacceptable, alleging that the primary was marred by irregularities and widespread voter disenfranchisement across several states.
The former Minister of Transportation made his position known shortly after collated results showed Atiku taking a commanding lead in many states during the contest for the ADC presidential ticket.
Atiku reportedly secured victories in states including Gombe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Ebonyi, and Abia, putting him ahead of Amaechi and another aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
In Gombe State alone, Atiku polled over 139,000 votes while Amaechi recorded slightly above 1,000 votes according to figures released during the exercise.
Amaechi, however, insisted that the process did not reflect a fair democratic contest and claimed that many party members were allegedly prevented from participating in the voting process.
The dispute has created uncertainty within the ADC at a time the opposition party is trying to position itself as a major force ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Political observers believe the disagreement could trigger fresh legal battles and internal divisions within the party if leaders fail to resolve the crisis quickly.
Supporters of Atiku have defended the primary, insisting that the exercise was transparent and reflected the wishes of delegates across the country.
The development comes amid increasing political realignments and coalition talks among opposition politicians seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC in 2027.
The ADC primary had attracted national attention because of the presence of major political figures like Atiku and Amaechi, both considered influential players in Nigeria’s opposition politics.
Party officials are expected to respond formally to Amaechi’s allegations as pressure grows for the ADC leadership to prevent the crisis from escalating further.