Hayatu-Deen boycotts ADC primary result announcement over alleged irregularities

Presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has announced that he will not attend the party’s presidential primary results announcement, citing alleged widespread irregularities and vote rigging during the exercise.

The ADC conducted a nationwide direct primary on Monday to select its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen among the leading contenders.

Early results released from several states indicated a strong lead for Atiku Abubakar, who reportedly secured significant margins in states including Sokoto, Yobe, and Gombe.

However, in a statement posted on Tuesday via his X account, Hayatu-Deen expressed strong dissatisfaction with the conduct of the process, alleging manipulation of results and irregularities that, according to him, compromised the credibility of the primaries.

He said he would not be present at the announcement of the final results.

“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 wrote.

The ADC primary election was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across various wards as the party continues its preparations to field a candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.