Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the presidential primary conducted by the African Democratic Congress, alleging widespread irregularities and voter disenfranchisement.
Amaechi, who also served as governor of Rivers State, described the results of the exercise as “concocted” and insisted that he would not accept an outcome that failed to meet the standards of transparency and fairness.
In a statement issued on Tuesday via his X handle shortly after the primary, the former minister said reports from across the country indicated that a significant number of party members were denied the opportunity to vote.
He said, “Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the ADC presidential primaries, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced.”
Amaechi maintained that he had, prior to the exercise, made his position clear that only a credible process would be acceptable to him.
“I had initially stated that I would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent, and I stand by my word,” he added.
The former minister accused the party leadership of undermining the core values upon which the ADC was founded, noting that the party was conceived as an alternative platform to address governance failures and promote inclusiveness.
According to him, the alleged exclusion of a large percentage of party members from voting undermines the credibility of the process.
“There’s no way that about 80 per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results. Then what makes us different from the others?” he queried.
Amaechi further alleged that the party had replicated the same electoral malpractices it had previously criticised in the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission, including vote-buying and result manipulation.
“A party that criticises the ruling APC and INEC for vote-buying, rigging and writing of results cannot engage in the same practices. This is not acceptable,” he said.
The ADC had conducted a nationwide direct primary on Monday to select its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ex-banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen among the leading contenders.
Although the party’s national leadership has yet to officially announce the final results, early figures from several states indicated that Atiku was in the lead, with Amaechi trailing behind, while Hayatu-Deen ranked third.
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
