Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress( ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement, vote manipulation and electoral malpractice.
In a strongly-worded statement released on his X handle on Tuesday, Amaechi described the results of the nationwide direct primary conducted by the ADC as “concocted,” saying , the exercise failed to meet the standards of fairness and transparency promised by the party.
Amaechi said he could not accept the outcome of a process in which, according to him, a large percentage of party members were allegedly denied the opportunity to vote.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he stated.
The former minister recalled that he had earlier made it clear that he would only recognise the outcome of the primary election if the process was credible, transparent and democratic.
“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,” Amaechi declared.
He accused the ADC leadership of betraying the ideals upon which the party was founded, saying the platform was established to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative capable of rescuing the country from what he described as impunity and poor governance.
Amaechi maintained that the party could not condemn alleged electoral irregularities by the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission while allegedly engaging in similar practices internally.
“A party that criticises the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that lead to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable,” he said
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The former governor further argued that the ADC was envisioned as a platform to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, religion or social status.
“The whole idea of the ADC was to give the Nigerian people a platform, to amplify the voices of the downtrodden, and make Nigeria a better place for everyone irrespective of backgrounds, ethnicity, or religion,” he said
The ADC presidential primary, held on Monday across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, featured notable contenders including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Amaechi, and former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Although the party leadership had yet to officially announce the final collated results as of Tuesday evening, figures emerging from several states indicated that Atiku maintained a commanding lead, with Amaechi trailing behind while Hayatu-Deen occupied third place.
The development is expected to intensify internal tensions within the opposition party as stakeholders await the official declaration of results and possible legal or political challenges from aggrieved aspirants.
