Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has won the African Democratic Congress presidential primary election, defeating former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen by overwhelming margins.
Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes compared to Amaechi’s 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen’s 177,120 votes. Chief Returning Officer Senator Tunde Ogbeha announced the results on Wednesday night in Abuja after nationwide collation of votes.
The victory margin was substantial. Atiku defeated Amaechi by 1,342,253 votes and Hayatu-Deen by 1,669,250 votes. Chief Ikechi Emenike, chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, said 2,527,977 registered ADC members participated in the direct primary exercise conducted across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The primary process commenced on Monday, 25 May 2026, after all three aspirants declined calls to step down for a consensus candidate. Party officials adopted the direct primary method in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.
Upon receiving the ADC flag as the party’s standard-bearer for 2027, Atiku called for unity among the party faithful. “There are no winners and losers. Our people look up to us for leadership, and we are ready to lead,” he said, appealing directly to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to close ranks and join his effort to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
Atiku outlined key priorities including security sector strengthening, education expansion, healthcare system reform and economic transformation. He pledged free and compulsory basic education if elected, promising to address the fact that millions of Nigerian school-age children remain out of school.
ADC National Chairman David Mark commended the primary as free, fair and credible. However, Mark disclosed that he came under intense pressure to influence the outcome. “We did not work towards a predetermined outcome,” he said, defending the electoral process despite the controversy that followed.
Rejection and allegations
Both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the results before the official announcement. Amaechi described the outcome as “concocted,” alleging massive voter disenfranchisement and manipulation during the exercise. Hayatu-Deen accused party officials of rigging and compromising the credibility of the process.
Despite the protests, the ADC proceeded with collation and declaration of results on Wednesday. Atiku demonstrated dominant strength across northern states, winning decisively in Adamawa (his home state with 177,141 votes), Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
Amaechi performed strongly in southern states, winning Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi. In Rivers State, his home state, Amaechi recorded one of the election’s largest margins, polling 115,650 votes against Atiku’s 912. Hayatu-Deen failed to win any state but recorded notable vote counts in Borno, Benue, Adamawa, Katsina and Niger.
The 2027 contest
Atiku’s victory makes him the ADC’s flagbearer for the 2027 presidential election. He will face President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in the January 2027 contest.
This marks Atiku’s third consecutive presidential bid, having contested under the People’s Democratic Party platform in 2019 and 2023.
