Dare Babalola
Former presidential aspirant and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has announced that he will not attend the official announcement of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary results, citing concerns over alleged widespread electoral malpractice.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen said he was disturbed by reports of vote rigging from different parts of the country, adding that some of the irregularities were personally observed by him 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.
His decision comes amid heightened tension within the ADC following the party’s nationwide presidential primary conducted across 8,089 wards, where delegates were expected to select the party’s 2027 flag bearer after leading contenders failed to reach a consensus.
The primary process followed weeks of internal negotiations involving major aspirants, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen, all of whom declined to step down for one another, forcing the party into a full direct primary.
Ahead of the exercise, the ADC leadership had cleared 80 governorship aspirants, 109 senatorial candidates, and 513 House of Representatives aspirants, while urging members to uphold discipline and democratic principles.
The party had also appointed a presidential election committee chaired by development economist and former pro-chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chief Ikechi Emenike, to oversee what it described as a transparent and credible process.
While the ADC insisted the primaries were conducted under strict democratic guidelines and called for unity after the exercise, Hayatu-Deen’s boycott has raised fresh concerns over internal divisions and the credibility of the outcome.
Party leaders had earlier warned that the conduct of stakeholders before, during, and after the primaries would determine public confidence in the party’s ability to present a viable alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
