Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread irregularities, voter disenfranchisement, and manipulation of the electoral process during the exercise conducted on Tuesday.
In a strongly worded statement issued shortly after the announcement of the results, the former Minister of Transportation described the outcome as “concocted” and insisted that the process failed to meet the standards of fairness, transparency, and credibility expected of a democratic exercise.
Amaechi said he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the results if the primaries were conducted in a free and transparent manner.
The former Rivers State governor alleged that a significant number of party members across the country were denied the opportunity to vote, claiming that nearly 80 percent of eligible members were disenfranchised during the exercise.
According to him, such a process could not produce a legitimate outcome and was contrary to the principles upon which the ADC was founded.
Amaechi said the ADC was created to offer Nigerians a credible political alternative capable of rescuing the country from what he described as impunity, poor governance, and economic mismanagement under the ruling All Progressives Congress administration.
He argued that the opposition party risks losing public confidence if it engages in the same practices it has consistently criticised.
The former presidential aspirant also accused party officials of involvement in vote buying, result writing, and other electoral malpractices.
He maintained that it was unacceptable for a party that frequently condemns the actions of the ruling party and the Independent National Electoral Commission over allegations of electoral misconduct to allegedly oversee a flawed internal process.
Amaechi further stated that the alleged irregularities undermined the voices of ordinary party members and contradicted the ADC’s promise to build an inclusive platform for Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, religion, or social status.
He said the party was expected to amplify the voices of the downtrodden and promote genuine democratic participation.
His rejection of the primaries is expected to deepen tensions within the ADC and could trigger fresh disputes over the credibility of the party’s internal electoral process ahead of the next general election cycle.
Party officials are yet to officially respond to the allegations raised by the former minister.
