Abuja — Former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral irregularities during the exercise.
In a strongly worded statement issued after the primaries, Amaechi described the announced results as “concocted” and insisted he would not accept an outcome that failed to reflect a free, fair, and transparent process.
“I had initially stated that I will only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent, and I stand by my word,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that a significant percentage of party members across the country were prevented from participating in the exercise, arguing that the process contradicted the democratic ideals the ADC claimed to represent.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former minister also accused the party of replicating the same electoral practices it had previously criticised within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including alleged vote buying, result manipulation, and voter suppression.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results cannot itself engage in electoral malpractices,” he said.
Amaechi said the ADC was created to provide Nigerians with an alternative political platform capable of amplifying the voices of ordinary citizens and addressing governance failures in the country.
His rejection of the primary results is expected to deepen tensions within the ADC and could trigger internal disputes over the legitimacy of the party’s presidential selection process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the time of reporting, the ADC leadership had not officially responded to Amaechi’s allegations.