A major crisis may be brewing within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen announced his withdrawal from the party’s presidential primary results announcement over alleged widespread electoral manipulation.
Hayatu-Deen, in a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday, said he would not participate in the announcement of the presidential primary results due to reports of vote rigging across the country.
The ADC chieftain revealed that he personally witnessed some of the alleged irregularities during the exercise.
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 myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps, he stated.
The development comes amid intense competition for the ADC presidential ticket involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen.
The party’s presidential primary collation is currently ongoing in Abuja, with delegates’ votes being counted from across Nigeria.
Before the exercise, the ADC leadership had urged aspirants and party members to maintain peace and unity throughout the primary process.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the primary as a defining moment for Nigerians seeking an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to him, the ADC remains committed to transparency, internal democracy, and credible leadership selection.
The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” Abdullahi said.
Hayatu-Deen’s rejection of the process could trigger fresh controversy within the opposition party as political alignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election continue to intensify
