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Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has won the African Democratic Congress presidential ticket, securing 1,846,370 votes in the party’s primary election, but two of his rivals have rejected the result, alleging irregularities.
Returning officer Tunde Ogbeha declared Atiku the winner on Wednesday after final collation of results from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Former transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes, while businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen finished third with 177,120 votes.
Amaechi rejected the outcome, describing the results as “concocted” and alleging massive voter disenfranchisement.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he said in a statement.
“Then what makes us different from the others? The whole idea of the ADC was to give the Nigerian people a platform, to amplify the voices of the downtrodden, and make Nigeria a better place for everyone irrespective of backgrounds, ethnicity, or religion.”
I REJECT THE CONCOCTED RESULTS OF THE ADC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results…
— Chibuike R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) May 26, 2026
Hayatu-Deen also accused party officials of rigging, but the ADC proceeded with the collation and declaration.
I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.
— Mohammed Hayatu-Deen (@Mohayatudeen) May 26, 2026
Meanwhile, in his acceptance speech, Atiku commended the party for demonstrating that democracy remains alive within the ADC.
“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its operatives, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
I wish to express my profound appreciation for the privilege, which you have bestowed on me, of leading our great party, the African Democratic Congress, into the next elections as its Presidential Candidate. I am truly humbled and excited by this singular honour.
We… pic.twitter.com/XHt9wcxaQr
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) May 27, 2026
He also decried the challenges faced by opposition parties and leaders in the country.
Atiku dominated northern states, winning Adamawa, Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
In his home state of Adamawa, he polled 177,141 votes against Amaechi’s 1,896 and Hayatu-Deen’s 18,949.
Amaechi also performed strongly in the south-south, winning Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi. In Rivers State, he secured 115,650 votes against Atiku’s 912.
Hayatu-Deen failed to win any state.
Atiku, who previously contested the presidency under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 and 2023, will now represent the ADC in the January 2027 election.
