Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), positioning him for a historic fourth run as a presidential candidate in Nigeria’s electoral history.
The former vice president was declared the winner by the ADC Presidential Primary Electoral Committee in Abuja after a two-day collation process. The results and collation process have been rejected by his rivals, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
The returning officer for the exercise, Tunde Ogbeha, announced the results late Wednesday night after the collation process concluded.
According to the results declared, Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Amaechi secured 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen scored 177,120 votes. The victory positions Atiku as the ADC’s standard bearer ahead of the 2027 presidential election, following weeks of consultations and political realignments within the opposition bloc.
However, his emergence as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election marks his fourth appearance on the presidential ballot and his seventh overall attempt to clinch Nigeria’s top political office.
He was the presidential candidate in the 2007 general election under the Action Congress, and later flew the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in both the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.
The former vice president had earlier contested the 1993 presidential primaries under the Social Democratic Party, as well as the 2011 and 2015 presidential primaries under the PDP, but failed to secure the party’s ticket on those occasions.
He eventually emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress after reportedly winning in 30 states during the party’s primary election.
His victory followed the collation of results from across the country, with delegates overwhelmingly backing his candidacy ahead of the 2027 general election.
Party officials described the exercise as one of the most competitive primaries conducted by the ADC in recent years, with participation from delegates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The outcome is expected to reshape opposition politics ahead of the next election cycle, especially with the growing coalition movement within the party.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku described his emergence as a humbling honour and praised the ADC for conducting what he called a free, fair and transparent democratic process at a time when democracy was under threat in the country.
He said the coalition behind the party was formed through sacrifices and compromises aimed at rescuing Nigeria’s democracy from what he termed increasing intimidation and suppression of opposition voices by the ruling APC-led government.
“At this moment, virtually all opposition political parties in the country are battling leadership crises allegedly engineered by the APC government, INEC and elements within the judiciary,” Atiku said.
The ADC presidential candidate accused the Federal Government of using security agencies and anti-corruption institutions to harass opposition politicians, while alleging that critics who defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) suddenly have charges against them dropped.
“Once a politician joins the APC, the harassment stops, and the charges against them magically disappear. This abuse of power must stop,” he added.
He also condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, saying the situation reflected growing political intolerance and abuse of power in the country.
According to him, El-Rufai had remained in detention for three months despite court orders granting him bail and was denied the opportunity to celebrate important religious holidays with his family or be with his late mother in her final moments.
“This kind of cruelty must stop,” Atiku stated while describing El-Rufai as a distinguished public servant who served both as a minister and a two-term governor of Kaduna State.
Atiku said his administration, if elected, would prioritise security, education, healthcare and economic reforms, while promising decisive action against insecurity, unemployment and poverty across the country.
He pledged to strengthen the armed forces, invest massively in education and healthcare, and build an economy that benefits ordinary Nigerians. He further promised to pursue policies that would restore investor confidence, stabilise the economy and improve the living standards of citizens.
He also called on fellow contestants, including Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, to unite with him ahead of the general election, insisting that “there are no winners and no losers” in the contest.
The former vice president urged party members to remain united and committed to the broader objective of defeating the ruling party in 2027, stressing that the ADC coalition represented what he described as a new direction for Nigeria’s democracy.
The ADC Chairman, Senator David Mark, however, appealed to former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to remain committed to the party following the conclusion of its presidential primaries, insisting that the shortcomings recorded during the exercise were not enough to invalidate the process.
Speaking at the official collation and declaration event of the ADC presidential primaries held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Mark said despite logistical and administrative challenges encountered during the direct primary election, the exercise remained credible, fair and reflective of democratic standards.
The former Senate President acknowledged that the process was not perfect but maintained that the integrity of the exercise remained intact.
“I do not claim that what we have done is perfect. I admit that there is room for improvement. However, I do not think that the observable shortcomings are sufficient to invalidate the exercise or to discredit the entire process,” Mark stated.
He added that the party had learnt valuable lessons from the exercise and accepted full responsibility for any lapses recorded during the primaries.
Mark commended the three presidential aspirants — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and former Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen — for their commitment to democracy and for participating in what he described as a transparent and competitive process.
According to him, the ADC distinguished itself by allowing a genuinely competitive primary rather than imposing a predetermined outcome on party members.
“We did not work towards a predetermined outcome. We allowed a free contest. We allowed our members across Nigeria to make their choice,” he said.
The ADC chairman disclosed that prior to the primaries, he held a private meeting with the three aspirants where he urged them to place national interest and party unity above personal ambition.
“I told them that the ADC has a rare opportunity to demonstrate to Nigerians a different political culture — a culture where competition would not destroy unity, where ambition would not bury principle, and where the process would matter as much as the outcome,” he said.
Mark congratulated Atiku Abubakar on emerging as the party’s presidential candidate and charged him to immediately begin reconciliation efforts within the party.
“This party has placed its trust in you and you must realise that you now have a duty to build bridges and carry every member along,” he told Atiku.
He also appealed to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to rise above their disappointment and work collectively for the party’s success ahead of the general election.
“It can only be one of you who would fly the flag of our party. Today, all of us have won, but we must remember that the larger mission remains greater than individual ambition,” he stated.
Mark further used the occasion to present the ADC as a credible democratic alternative capable of rescuing Nigeria from economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and social division.
He said Nigerians were watching to see whether opposition leaders could rise above “ego, division and personal interest” in the interest of national development.
“Let tonight send a message across our nation that the ADC stands for fairness, inclusion, courage, and democratic integrity,” he declared.
The event formally concluded with the declaration of Atiku Abubakar as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
