Fresh controversy has erupted within the African Democratic Congress after former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primary, insisting the results announced in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar were “concocted.”

Amaechi, who contested alongside Atiku and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, accused the party of widespread voter disenfranchisement during the nationwide exercise conducted across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Monday.

In a statement shared on his verified X account, Amaechi maintained that he would only accept a process that was free, fair and transparent, stressing that the exercise failed to reflect the ideals the party claimed to represent.

“There’s no way that about 80 per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results. Then what makes us different from the others?” he queried.

The former Minister of Transportation warned that the ADC risked losing moral credibility if it engaged in the same electoral malpractices it had often accused the ruling All Progressives Congress and Independent National Electoral Commission of perpetrating.

Amaechi’s protest came shortly after Hayatu-Deen also boycotted the final collation and declaration ceremony at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, citing alleged vote manipulation and irregularities across several states.

“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,” Hayatu-Deen wrote on his verified X handle.

Despite the objections raised by two of the aspirants, collation continued in Abuja, with Atiku establishing a commanding lead after results from 24 states and the FCT were announced late Tuesday night.

The former vice president reportedly won in 22 states and the FCT, while Amaechi secured victories in only Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi states.

Among the states announced, Atiku polled 177,141 votes in Adamawa, 155,595 in Kano, 136,933 in Gombe, 86,084 in Borno and 63,823 in Sokoto. He also dominated in the FCT with 18,704 votes ahead of Amaechi’s 14,721 and Hayatu-Deen’s 5,575 votes.

In Ekiti, Atiku secured 18,395 votes against Amaechi’s 1,574 and Hayatu-Deen’s 149, while in Enugu he polled 33,879 votes to beat Amaechi’s 15,127 and Hayatu-Deen’s 669 votes.

Amaechi’s strongest performances came in Akwa Ibom, where he polled 20,343 votes to defeat Atiku’s 17,623, and in Ebonyi, where he scored 6,400 votes ahead of Hayatu-Deen’s 4,840 and Atiku’s 1,210.

Responding to the allegations, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi urged aggrieved aspirants to channel their complaints through the party’s internal mechanisms rather than the media.

Speaking on Channels Television, Abdullahi said there was no conclusive evidence yet to prove the primary had been rigged, noting that collation was still ongoing.

He also dismissed concerns over legitimacy, insisting that the electoral process was recognised and monitored by INEC officials across the country.

The growing dispute has nevertheless cast a shadow over the credibility of the exercise and threatens to trigger fresh tensions within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general election.