Atiku, Amaechi Participate in ADC Presidential Primaries Amid Rising Tension
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi have taken part in the presidential primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as the contest for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket gathers momentum.
Atiku disclosed on his X account that he voted at the Ajiya Ward Polling Unit in Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State, describing the exercise as a demonstration of democracy in action.
According to him, the primary election, which is being conducted simultaneously across the country’s 8,809 wards, represents a significant step toward rebuilding Nigeria and placing it on the path of progress and prosperity.
Meanwhile, Amaechi was reported to have arrived in his hometown of Ubima, Rivers State, to participate in the exercise. A video shared by ADC Vanguard on X showed the former Minister of Transportation arriving in the community to cast his vote.
The parallel voting exercise comes amid growing rivalry within the ADC coalition, where leading opposition figures are battling for influence and control ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Amaechi had recently declared that Atiku would lose the ADC presidential primary, insisting that the major issue before party delegates was not experience or the number of times a candidate had contested elections, but electability.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Amaechi argued that although Atiku had consistently won party primaries in the past, he had failed to convert those victories into success at the general elections.
“I hope this will be the first time he will fail a primary,” Amaechi said, adding that the real concern should be whether a candidate can win the presidential election.
The former Rivers governor also questioned what fresh ideas Atiku still had to offer Nigerians after several attempts at the presidency.
The ADC has recently been battling internal disagreements, especially over moves to adopt a consensus presidential candidate. The crisis reportedly involves Atiku, Amaechi and former presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
The party has, however, emerged as a major platform for opposition figures seeking to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general election.
