Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African
Democratic Congress for the 2027 general election, following a fiercely contested primary election held in Abuja on Wednesday night.
Atiku secured a total of 1,846,370 votes out of the 2,527,977 votes cast by the party’s 3,113,599 registered members nationwide, defeating former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who garnered 177,120 votes.
The primary, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, quickly evolved beyond an internal party exercise into a major rallying point for opposition forces seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku launched a blistering attack on the APC-led administration, accusing the government of deepening economic hardship, worsening insecurity, suppressing democratic institutions, and steering Nigeria toward a one-party state.
“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its oppressive and anti-democratic government, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” Atiku declared.
The former Vice President alleged that the APC government was responsible for engineering leadership crises across opposition parties through the involvement of security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and elements within the judiciary.
“As I speak, virtually all opposition political parties in the country have leadership crises engineered by the APC government, the INEC and elements in the judiciary,” he said.
Atiku also condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, describing it as part of what he termed a wider crackdown on opposition voices.
“All because he is a leading opposition figure. This kind of cruelty must stop,” he added.
The ADC flagbearer further accused anti-corruption agencies of being weaponised against opposition politicians, alleging that investigations and prosecutions suddenly disappear once politicians defect to the ruling party.
“Under this government, once a person joins the APC, the harassment ceases and the charges against them magically disappear,” he claimed.
Despite the intense contest, Atiku moved to calm tensions within the coalition, insisting that unity among opposition figures was critical ahead of the 2027 elections.
“This is not the time to celebrate. No one was defeated because we are one party and we all need to recognise the fierce urgency of the moment,” he stated.
He specifically appealed to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to join forces with him in what he described as a national struggle to save Nigeria’s democracy.
“In particular, I invite Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” he said.
On the nation’s security situation, Atiku accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to decisively tackle escalating violence and killings across the country.
“Every region of this country is gripped by insecurity, the worst kind in our history,” he said.
He pledged that an ADC-led government would strengthen the armed forces, police, and intelligence agencies through mass recruitment, improved welfare packages, better training, and the acquisition of modern equipment.
Addressing the economy, Atiku argued that official claims of economic growth did not reflect the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians struggling with rising inflation and worsening living conditions.
“The poverty gripping our people is at a level that we have never seen in our history,” he declared.
He criticised the government’s handling of fuel subsidy removal, rising national debt, and alleged lack of transparency in public spending, claiming borrowed funds were being diverted through contracts awarded without due process.
“The future of our younger generation is being mortgaged with no accountability,” he stated.
On education, the ADC candidate expressed concern over the growing number of out-of-school children in the country, promising free and compulsory education at both primary and secondary school levels if elected.
“This cannot be tolerated in the modern world where education is the surest path to decent employment, wealth creation, national development and enlightened citizenry,” he said.
Atiku also accused the Federal Government of neglecting the healthcare sector, alleging that the Ministry of Health received only N30 million for capital expenditure in the previous fiscal year.
“This is clearly a government that doesn’t care about the health of our people,” he said, while promising significant investments in primary healthcare and specialist medical facilities nationwide.
Drawing a sharp contrast with the APC’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, Atiku promised what he described as “renewed action” aimed at rebuilding the economy and restoring democratic institutions.
“Where the APC government offers meaningless renewed hope, we will provide renewed action to repair the damage that they have done to our economy and society in the last twelve years of misrule,” he said.
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