Amaechi rejects ADC primary, alleges massive disenfranchisement

A fresh crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after former Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant, rejected the party’s presidential primary results, accusing party leaders of vote manipulation, result writing and denying most members the right to vote.

Amaechi, in a statement issued shortly after the primaries, described the results announced by the party as “concocted,” insisting that the exercise failed to meet the standards of transparency, fairness and credibility earlier promised by the ADC leadership.

The former Rivers State governor said he had consistently maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the election if the process was free, fair and transparent, stressing that the exercise did not reflect the democratic values the party claimed to represent.

“I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi stated, adding that the conduct of the primaries undermined the ADC’s position as a credible alternative platform for Nigerians seeking change ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, a significant number of party members and delegates were allegedly prevented from participating in the voting process, a situation he said invalidated the credibility of the outcome.

“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 said.

Amaechi further accused the ADC of hypocrisy, arguing that the party could not continue to criticise the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission over allegations of vote buying, result manipulation and electoral malpractice while allegedly engaging in similar practices internally.

“A party that criticizes 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 leads to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable!” he declared.

The former minister maintained that the ADC was founded to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and provide a credible political alternative regardless of religion, ethnicity or social background.

His rejection of the presidential primary outcome is expected to deepen tensions within the opposition party, amid growing political realignments and coalition talks ahead of the 2027 elections.

The controversy surrounding the exercise has also renewed concerns over internal democracy within opposition parties seeking to challenge the ruling government in the next electoral cycle.