Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after the party’s nationwide primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku secured a total of 1,846,370 votes to defeat former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes in the contest.
In his speech after the announcement, Atiku described his victory as a “unique honour” and vowed to lead the party in the next election with a commitment to restoring democracy and rebuilding the country.
The former vice president said the ADC primaries showed that internal democracy was still alive despite what he called increasing political intimidation by the ruling government.
According to him, party members were allowed to compete freely and express their ambitions through what he said was a transparent and fair process.
Atiku said the coalition behind the ADC was built through sacrifices and compromises to save Nigeria’s democracy from what he called its “biggest threat” since the return to civilian rule in 1999.
The ADC candidate accused the ruling government of allegedly engineering crises within the opposition parties through the interference of the electoral commission and elements within the judiciary.
He also condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, claiming that the opposition figure remained in custody for months despite court orders granting him bail.
Atiku claimed that opposition politicians are being pressured to defect to the ruling party through harassment and intimidation by anti-corruption and security agencies.
“Once a person joins the APC, the harassment stops and the allegations against them magically disappear. This abuse of power must stop,” he said.
The former presidential candidate also warned against any attempt to interfere in ADC affairs, stressing that the party will resist actions aimed at weakening the coalition.
He congratulated the other candidates who participated in the primary elections and called on the party members to unite ahead of the general elections.
According to him, the party must focus on addressing the growing insecurity, economic difficulties, political intolerance and what he described as attempts to create a one-party state.
Atiku stressed that the primaries were not a time for celebration, but a call for unity and preparation for what he called the “real hard work” of campaigning for power.
He also commended the party’s primary election committee, stakeholders and volunteers for conducting what he described as a peaceful and transparent exercise.
