ABUJA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially secured the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections. The veteran politician emerged victorious after a nationwide collation process culminated in a formal declaration in the nation's capital, positioning him as a major opposition flagbearer in the upcoming battle for the country's top office.
The official results, which were announced on Wednesday in Abuja, showed that Atiku achieved a decisive victory across the federation, securing a comfortable lead over his fellow contenders. According to the data released by the political party’s electoral officials, Atiku polled a total of 1,846,370 votes. His closest rival, former Rivers State Governor and ex-Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, finished a distant second with 504,117 votes. Renowned economist and former banking executive Mohammed Hayatu-Deen came third in the internal party contest, securing 177,120 votes from the registered members who turned out for the exercise.
The process that led to the declaration involved a massive mobilization of party faithful across the country. Speaking during the announcement ceremony, the Chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike, stated that a total of 2,527,977 registered members of the African Democratic Congress participated directly in the shadow election. Emenike clarified that the staggering figures presented to the public were not arbitrary numbers but the exact tallies meticulously compiled and submitted by authentic party chairmen who had been officially deployed to supervise and manage the election across the various states of the federation.
Following the verification of the tallies from the state branches, the Chief Returning Officer for the exercise, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, stepped forward to make the formal proclamation. Ogbeha declared Atiku the outright winner of the presidential primary election, having satisfied the party's internal constitutional requirements and secured the highest number of valid votes cast during the nationwide exercise.
The declaration sets the stage for a critical political campaign as opposition forces attempt to reshape alliances ahead of the 2027 polls. In his formal acceptance speech, Atiku expressed deep gratitude to the party’s administrative organs and the millions of members who cast their ballots. He praised the entire delegation for executing what he described as a transparent, highly credible, and deeply democratic primary process, noting that the successful completion of the voting exercise served as a powerful message to the entire nation.
The former vice president argued that by organizing a smooth and open contest, the African Democratic Congress had demonstrated that authentic democratic ideals remain fully alive within the country. He noted that this achievement was particularly significant given the current political climate, which he characterized as being defined by the systematic intimidation and suppression of opposition parties by state operatives and the ruling elite.
According to Atiku, the party had set an enviable standard for internal democracy by allowing its vast membership to freely express their opinions, pursue their individual political ambitions, and contest highly sensitive elective positions without fear of victimization. He described the party as a broad-based coalition of forward-thinking leaders who are completely united by shared sacrifices and deliberate political compromises aimed at strengthening and insulating Nigeria’s democracy from total collapse.
Beyond the internal politics of the group, the newly minted presidential candidate used his acceptance platform to address broader national issues. He expressed deep concern over what he termed the continuous decline of national security, severe economic hardship, deep-seated nepotism within federal agencies, and an increasing wave of political intolerance sweeping across the country. He emphasized that the primary election should not be viewed through the narrow prism of winners and losers, but rather as a collaborative and urgent rescue mission to save the country from years of misrule and administrative failure.
Looking ahead to the arduous task of the 2027 general elections, Atiku made a passionate appeal for total unity among all party structures and supporters. Recognizing the friction that often accompanies high-stakes primary contests, he specifically reached out to aggrieved members and his fellow contestants, urging Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to set aside any differences that may have arisen during the intense campaign period and work hand-in-hand with him to rebuild the nation's democratic foundations.
He noted that the public looks up to the party for sound leadership, and that they must prove they are ready to lead by demonstrating internal cohesion. Atiku concluded his address by pledging to collaborate closely with all established party leaders and the general membership to further strengthen the presence of the African Democratic Congress across every local government area, ensuring that the platform can provide the robust leadership required to rebuild the country for future generations.
