Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a nationwide primary election. Abubakar secured the party’s ticket with 1,846,370 votes, decisively defeating former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who received 504,117 votes.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In his acceptance speech, Abubakar expressed deep gratitude for the mandate, framing the ADC’s internal process as a stark contrast to what he described as the “strangulation” of democracy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He further elaborated on his vision and concerns:

• Critique of the Ruling Party: Abubakar accused the APC government, alongside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and elements within the judiciary, of orchestrating leadership crises across opposition parties and utilizing security and anti-corruption agencies to intimidate political rivals.

• Human Rights Concerns: Highlighting the detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, he condemned the government’s actions as “cruel,” specifically noting that El-Rufai was denied bail and the opportunity to be with his mother during her final moments due to his opposition status.

• Call for Unity: Addressing his fellow contestants, Abubakar emphasized that there were no losers in the primary, urging party members to unite against what he characterized as the APC’s “destructive grip” of economic mismanagement, insecurity, and political intolerance.

• Looking Ahead: Declaring that the “real hard work is about to begin,” the new presidential candidate called on his supporters to prepare for a rigorous campaign aimed at rescuing the country from the current administration’s policies.

Abubakar concluded by thanking the electoral committee and party stakeholders for conducting a transparent and peaceful primary, reinforcing his commitment to a platform focused on national renewal.