Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has joined Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to reject the yet-to-be announced results of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice during the exercise.
In a statement posted on his X handle, Mr Amaechi described the results to be announced from the primary as “concocted,” insisting that the process failed to meet the standards of fairness, transparency, and credibility expected of the party.
|
|
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he wrote.
Mr Hayatu-Deen had earlier rejected the process, also alleging massive rigging and irregularities in the exercise.
|
|
|
|---|
Preliminary results from several states indicated that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was leading the race by wide margins, even as final collation has yet to begin in Abuja.
Mr Amaechi said he had earlier maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the exercise if it was conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner.
“There’s no way that about eighty per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results. Then what makes us different from the others?” he said.
Mr Amaechi accused the ADC of engaging in the same practices it had criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (ADC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for, including vote buying, manipulation of results, and voter suppression.
READ ALSO: Atiku leads in ADC presidential primary amid disputed claims, factional tensions
He added that the ADC was founded to provide Nigerians with an alternative political platform capable of “amplifying the voices of the downtrodden” and rescuing the country from “impunity and gross mismanagement.”
ADC’s failed coalition
A coalition of opposition leaders in the country had last year joined the ADC to challenge the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The party had earlier brought together Atiku, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who came in the second, third and fourth places in the 2023 presidential election won by President Tinubu of the APC.
However, earlier this month, Messrs Obi and Kwankwaso left the party to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC), where Mr Obi has emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
