Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially emerged as the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The election results were announced on Wednesday night at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. In a statement monitored by correspondents, the convention committee declared that Atiku secured a decisive victory over his closest rivals, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and former veteran banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

Following the declaration, the ADC national leadership, led by Senator David Mark, officially presented the party’s flag to Atiku, solidifying his position as the flagbearer.

The Election in Numbers

The ADC adopted a direct primary mechanism across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after all three candidates declined proposals for a consensus arrangement. The direct voting process commenced on Monday, May 25, 2026, in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.

According to the official match data released by the party, a total of 2,546,457 votes were cast out of an eligible party membership of 3,113,599.

Note: Rotimi Amaechi also outpolled Mohammed Hayatu-Deen by a margin of 327,003 votes to secure the runner-up position.

Contestants Reject Outcome Citing Irregularities

Despite the official declaration, the primary concluded under a cloud of internal dispute. Both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the results prior to the formal announcement, alleging widespread manipulation of the voting process. In protest, Hayatu-Deen boycotted the final presentation event at the Transcorp Hilton.

Atiku Calls for Unity and Reconciliation

Delivering his acceptance speech, Atiku struck a conciliatory tone, acknowledging the friction caused by the primary and urging aggrieved party members to unite for the upcoming general election.

"I appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us," Atiku stated. He specifically extended an olive branch to his opponents, saying, "In particular, I invite Chief Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country."

Emphasizing that internal contests should not create permanent divisions, Atiku added:

"As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers. Our people look up to us for leadership and I am ready to lead. I shall work with you all to continue to build our party. I will campaign with you and, if Nigeria’s leaders demand it, govern with you to build a country that works for all of us."

Critique of the Ruling Party and Policy Roadmap

Atiku commended the party's rank and file for upholding internal democracy, contrasting the ADC's processes with what he described as the systematic suppression of opposition politics by the ruling party. He alleged that opposition figures currently face institutional harassment and intimidation, and cautioned external actors against interfering in the ADC's internal affairs.

Looking forward to the 2027 campaign, Atiku outlined the core pillars of his proposed policy platform:

• Security: Strengthening national security agencies to combat systemic instability and insurgencies.

• Education: Addressing the out-of-school children crisis by implementing a policy of free and compulsory basic education.

• Economic Reform: Reversing current fiscal trajectories by addressing deep poverty, unsustainable borrowing, and controversial subsidy policies.

• Healthcare: Investing heavily in primary healthcare infrastructure to enhance local access and mitigate outbound medical tourism.

"We have to prepare and play hard to win the next general elections in order to begin the difficult process of rescuing our country and its long-suffering people," Atiku concluded, stating that the real work of presenting a "renewed action" plan to the Nigerian electorate begins immediately.