Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 General Election after defeating former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in the Party’s Presidential Primary Election.
The outcome of the keenly contested Primary was announced on Wednesday night in a statement issued by the ADC following the conclusion of voting by Party members across the country.
According to the Party, Atiku secured a landslide victory after polling 1,855,787 votes to defeat Amaechi, who garnered 509,397 votes, while Hayatu-Deen came third with 180,903 votes.
The statement read, “Atiku defeats Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen to secure ADC Presidential Ticket.
“Final result: Atiku 1,855,787, Amaechi 509,397, Hayatu-Deen 180,903. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457. Total Party membership for the election: 3,113,599. Congratulations to Waziri Atiku.”
A further breakdown of the results showed that Atiku defeated Amaechi by a margin of 1,346,390 votes, underlining his dominance in the contest. He also led Hayatu-Deen by 1,674,884 votes.
The ADC Presidential Primary process commenced on Monday, May 25, 2026, with accredited Party members across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory participating in the exercise through the Direct Primary System adopted by the Party leadership.
The Party had earlier faced mounting pressure from some stakeholders who advocated for a consensus arrangement to avoid internal divisions ahead of the 2027 election. However, the three major aspirants reportedly declined calls to step down for one another, forcing the Party to proceed with a full-scale Primary Election.
Although a consensus process was initially being considered by some Party leaders, the ADC eventually adopted the direct primary option, insisting that the move was in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the Party’s commitment to internal democracy.
Atiku’s emergence is expected to reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 Presidential Election as opposition parties intensify efforts to challenge the ruling Party at the Federal level.
MJConcept TV News had earlier reported, citing sources, that Atiku was expected to emerge as the winner.
On Tuesday, Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen alleged that the election process was marked by irregularities and both boycotted the results announcement.