Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election.
The result was announced on Wednesday night at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, where Atiku defeated former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and former banker, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, in the party’s presidential primary.
The party leadership, led by Senator David Mark, formally presented the ADC flag to Atiku after he was declared winner of the exercise.
“Atiku 1,846,370, Amaechi 504,117, Hayatudeen 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457. Total party membership for the election: 3,113,599,” the result announced by the party read.
A breakdown of the results showed that Atiku defeated Amaechi by 1,342,253 votes and Hayatu-Deen by 1,669,250 votes, while Amaechi also polled 327,003 votes more than Hayatu-Deen.
The ADC presidential primary commenced on Monday, May 25, 2026, with party members across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory participating in the process.
The party adopted the direct primary method after all three aspirants — Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen — declined calls to step down for a consensus candidate.
Speaking after his victory, Atiku appealed to aggrieved aspirants and party members to unite for the task ahead.
“I therefore appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us,” he said.
He also directly invited his fellow contestants to work with him ahead of the 2027 election.
“In particular, I invite Chief Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Muhammad Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” Atiku said.
The former vice president stressed that the outcome of the primary should not divide the party.
“As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers. Our people look up to us for leadership and I am ready to lead,” he stated.
He further pledged to work with all stakeholders to strengthen the party ahead of the general election.
“I shall work with you all to continue to build our party. I will campaign with you and if Nigeria’s leaders demand it, govern with you to build a country that works for all of us,” he added.
However, both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen had earlier rejected the outcome of the primary, alleging widespread irregularities and manipulation of the voting process.
Hayatu-Deen had also announced that he would not attend the official declaration of the result.
Earlier in his acceptance remarks, Atiku thanked party leaders, delegates, and members, saying he was “truly humbled and excited” to lead the ADC into the next general election.
“We constructed that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party… democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
Atiku also alleged that opposition figures were facing intimidation and harassment, warning against interference in party affairs.
“No one was defeated. No one. We are one party, and we all need to recognise the fierce urgency of the moment,” he added.
The ADC presidential candidate said the party must now focus on winning the 2027 election and addressing the country’s challenges.
“We have to prepare and play hard to win the next general elections in order to begin the difficult process of rescuing our country and its long-suffering people,” he said.
Atiku outlined key priorities for the party, including security, education, healthcare, and economic reforms.
He pledged to strengthen security agencies, improve access to education, expand healthcare services, and tackle economic hardship across the country.
On education, he said the ADC would prioritise free and compulsory basic education to address the growing number of out-of-school children.
Speaking on the economy, Atiku criticised current economic conditions, saying rising poverty and hardship had worsened under existing policies.
He also promised greater investment in healthcare, including stronger primary healthcare systems and improved medical facilities aimed at reducing medical tourism.
Atiku concluded by saying the ADC would present what he described as “renewed action” ahead of the 2027 general election, stressing that the real political work would begin after the primaries.
