Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday held a closed-door meeting with fellow presidential aspirant, Hayatu-Deen, at his Lagos residence as part of efforts to heal divisions within the party following its controversial presidential primary.
Sources familiar with the meeting said the talks were aimed at reconciling aggrieved party members and strengthening unity ahead of the 2027 general election. Hayatu-Deen is expected to address journalists after the meeting.
The meeting comes days after the ADC presidential primary, which produced Atiku as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 presidential election.
Hayatu-Deen had contested the primary alongside Atiku and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. However, before the official announcement of the results, he withdrew from the race, alleging widespread electoral malpractice during the exercise.
Explaining his decision, Hayatu-Deen said he was disturbed by reports of vote manipulation from different parts of the country and claimed to have personally witnessed some of the irregularities.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I personally observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” he said.
Despite his withdrawal, the party proceeded with the announcement of the results, declaring Atiku winner of the primary with 1,846,370 votes. Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen secured 177,120 votes.
Amaechi also rejected the outcome of the exercise, describing the results as “concocted” and alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement during the primary process.
Since emerging as the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku has intensified efforts to reconcile dissatisfied stakeholders and foster unity within the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls.
Before meeting with Hayatu-Deen, the former vice president had held consultations with Amaechi. Speaking after that engagement, Atiku said their discussions focused on Nigeria’s pressing challenges, including economic hardship, insecurity and the need for collective action to address the country’s problems.
According to him, the meeting featured frank discussions on “the troubling state of the nation, the growing economic pain, insecurity, and the urgent responsibility on patriotic Nigerians to continue engaging in the search for solutions that can rescue our country from drift and despair.”
Responding to concerns raised over the conduct of the primary, ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, maintained that the exercise was free and fair, although he acknowledged that it was not without imperfections.
He noted that all the aspirants were qualified to lead the party but stressed that only one candidate could emerge as its presidential flag bearer.
Atiku and Amaechi joined the ADC in July 2025 alongside several opposition figures as part of a broader political realignment aimed at mounting a strong challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
